Peace Offering, Ivy-Covered
“The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.” -Carlos Santana
In a (then) 100-year-old house in California, when I was a girl, a tender, strong shoot of ivy leaf drilled through our living room wall and unfurled there on the inside, with all its bright, fresh greenness. Oh how I ached to see that ivy be allowed to grow all the way up the wall, to actually BECOME the walls and ceiling of our home so that I could live in a green ivy cave. But of course my mother snipped it off immediately and proclaimed that it would take over, make the walls crumble. In fact, that was exactly what I wanted.
Ivy symbolized peace to the Druids of old, perhaps because of its ability to bind different plants and even different kinds of plants together.
Not yet a week ago, newly elected Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and addressed the world. “La pace sia con tutti voi!” were his first words; Peace be with you all!
How desperately I feel the need of this invocation for my own well-being amidst the turbulence and uncertainty of life, particularly in the U.S. right now. I made a conscious and deliberate decision to receive and embrace that blessing of peace. Maintaining peace in my own heart is on-going and often difficult. Peace is ultimately something we make, and something we must work for. It would be wonderful if peace could simply and magically be transferred to the human heart, but I’m not sure if it can or not. When I remember Pope Leo’s words, however, I bring myself to that place of tranquility and rest, and I can endeavor to return to that feeling of peace whenever necessary (often). I can allow my peace to expand into the chaos. I can sometimes find peace in the eye of the storm.
“It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Peace be with you, my friends. ☮️
May peace be upon us all; in our hearts and minds, in our words and deeds.
If we can leaf our worries behind us, and work towards peace, I think, I hope and I pray that we will all be vine. 🌱
Oh Mel so much here and so fine a way to end. Ivy and me not what I want to see. That stuff acts like poison oak to me and I can take it and make it act like dynamite at times. Carlos always cool as Dyllie and Willie call me to the Gold Country and I sing Willie's on the road again and but of course that brings me what we both speak of most inherently
peace and love
Thanks for the shout out to the keepers of a distant past; the Druids. It gives me a sense of peace whenever I consider such. These types, people of this stripe, will always be here and always have been, minding the constant now where peace is also constant. Indifferent to the illusion of change.
For my own peace of mind, I am once again adding meditation to my daily ritual. An on again off again habit of mine. I believe that true meditation is a constant state, and so I slip away from the habit expecting that. I have returned to it in order to refresh, and am finding it helpful.
Back to the Druids and their timeless stature. Sentry. I am reminded of a distant memory of mine. In the late 70's, I was reading the Illuminatus by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. A very cool read. I never got through it though, because I was terrified by the experience that road along with the storytelling. At night, just as I was falling off to sleep, I would have visitors. Druid looking figures would approach me and present an orb of sorts, that expressed, a kaleidoscopic concentration of color. I was terrified, and eventually, just set the book aside because I knew that the two were related. I don't read much, as you know Melanie, so that was hard because I really was enjoying this read.
I am reminded of these visitors as I read your stack, so much so, that I can see one of these standing here with me now. So that's fun. Comforting. These days, I welcome such visitors. I learned long ago that there is nothing in the dark that is not also in the light, and so it is silly to fear such things. It is fear that colors the experience and causes misrepresentation.
If you are concerned about what might actually represent something to be fearful of, it is the poor decisions of humankind, which you have alluded too. And so, I think, that it is important to stand up and speak to that.
Thank you for another pleasant read, Melanie. I did enjoy it.