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Barry Smith wrote a blog post on Rustnstuff calling for readers to leave words about hope and peace.
My response was: "The world's best hope for peace is that we find a way to love each other without pre-conditions. Time will tell (10)"
To the first ten commenters, Barry promised a pendant. Mine arrived yesterday. The note jolted me:
IT'S TIME ... MAY HOPE AND PEACE PREVAIL.
Call ...
and response ...
 |
| The peace pin I will send to Barry Cochineal and tannin dyed linen from here |
In the past month I have been wandering too far from things that bring me joy. Guilty of willfully entering the chaos of the current political arena. My daughter called me on it last night ... an intervention. Jude Hill reiterated the message in her post today.
My response was to wipe my Facebook and blog posts clean. Which I hasten to add does not mean I'm leaving the political world to others. Just that I will choose one activity that I think can make a difference, rather than the dozens of possibilities that have left my eye twitching. I will call my members of congress whenever I see something in the news that involves legislative action. But I will no longer haunt Facebook.
So here's my call to you (if you've gotten this far). Please leave words of peace in the comments. And if there is a color that brings you joy, please note that, too.
In response, I will reach out privately for contact information and send you a simple peace pin, like the one shown here or one that matches the color(s) that give you joy. It will give me great joy in turn to make each one for an intended recipient, spreading the joy that Barry Smith gave me. Bringing a measure of peace.
My response was to wipe my Facebook and blog posts clean. Which I hasten to add does not mean I'm leaving the political world to others. Just that I will choose one activity that I think can make a difference, rather than the dozens of possibilities that have left my eye twitching. I will call my members of congress whenever I see something in the news that involves legislative action. But I will no longer haunt Facebook.
So here's my call to you (if you've gotten this far). Please leave words of peace in the comments. And if there is a color that brings you joy, please note that, too.
In response, I will reach out privately for contact information and send you a simple peace pin, like the one shown here or one that matches the color(s) that give you joy. It will give me great joy in turn to make each one for an intended recipient, spreading the joy that Barry Smith gave me. Bringing a measure of peace.
am thinking
ReplyDeleteWORD FOR THE DAY
ReplyDeleteThe world is evolving from imperfection to perfection. It needs all love and sympathy; great tenderness and watchfulness are required from each one of us.
HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN
gentle day liz
mending our beautiful broken world stitch by stitch
ReplyDeletethe blue of longing
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz for passing this forward as well as echoing some of my feelings re the political chaos that greets us each day; it overwhelms and I find that I need some distance and quieting.
ReplyDeleteOn Tues, I received one of Barry's lovely pendants. It is his Holding Water pendant, a wonderfully shaped silver oval holding droplets of metal. I have attached it to an old silver chain that I purchased in Ireland in 2006. The Irish chain came with a green glass pendant laser etched with an interlocking Celtic cross. Both pendants together are powerful in their connection to land, hope and peace. The green of the Celtic pendant contrasting so well with the silver of Barry's pendant. Green is my favorite color, it has always spoken to me of renewal and hope. My comment on Barry's blog had to do with hope. I wrote: "Hope is standing up, not standing aside, nothing huge but simply the desire to connect in a way that helps to make us all one, one world, one planet, one people." In thinking of my comment, I realized that it reminded me of one of the most moving quotes regarding peace that I have ever read. This peace quote was by Mother Teresa who said, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
i have had that word in my life a lot lately, Prevail
ReplyDeleteto prevail...i looked it up and my sense of it is not quite that
thing of Triumph, but something quieter and steadier that doesn't
ever give up, but continues through it all and is sustained by
it's own continuing....re~seeding its self....
so, i love he used that word...with Peace....
Rust
Grace - always you are thinking. Thank you for your thought-ful words ... I agree that prevail carries gentler meaning to me than "triumph"
ReplyDeleteAnd rust ... this I knew and will honor
Cynthia - thank you for these words from this teacher, who is new to me. Please send your snail mail address to lizackert@gmail.com so that I may send you a peace pin
ReplyDelete(((Mo))) ... so much I have learned from you as we stitch on opposite sides of the world
ReplyDeleteBlue I would have guessed ... Rebecca Solnit
Aloha, Liz.
ReplyDeleteMy word is "comfort."
I find that I'm trying to comfort myself and comfort others around me during these challenging times.
Blues and greens speak out to me. Touching them and gazing at them gives me peace and washes away so many troubling thoughts and feelings.
There is no need to send me anything. Just know that your presence comforts me.
In friendship,
Hunter
Marti - I am so grateful for your presence. Thank you for your words, now and always.
ReplyDeleteGreen ... the color we both love
Hunter - you have no idea how much it would comfort me to know that a little bit of my stitching had found a home on Maui.
ReplyDeleteBlues and greens ... the colors of the sea
There are so many words that could be listed here. I choose HARMONY...the opposite of chaos.
ReplyDeleteI have become more selective in my reading of the current political situation. I must continue to be informed. I shun the opinionated sites. I continue to contact those that are supposed to be representing MY interests, for how can they know what I think if I don't tell them. I can only pray they listen.
The color of the sea has a calming effect on me, much like I feel when sitting by any body of water, from my back yard pond to my beloved Lake Michigan.
Wishing you a peaceful and harmonious day.
xx, Carol
Carol - thank you for coming by. I wish everyone could have a beloved body of water. Mine is the Atlantic Ocean along the shore in Avon, North Carolina. As the light changes, it shifts from blue to green to gray, and sometimes all three at once when clouds come between the water and the sun.
ReplyDeleteWishing you peace and a harmonious day in return.
Thank you for this post, Liz. I know you've made the right decision in stepping away from the Facebook trap. We must focus on what brings light and adds light, both to our own lives and the lives of others. We each need to be open and responsive to what that might mean in our individual lives. So I'll choose the word "light" and color . . . oh, blue or rose.
ReplyDeleteI also meant to ask if you're familiar with the poem The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry. (Sorry, I can't do a link.) It's very beautiful and I believe speaks to our fears.
ReplyDeleteStephanie -Thank you ... your comment made me realize that the light is slowly increasing as spring approaches.
ReplyDeleteAs for blue or rose, how about both?!
Here's the link to The Peace of Wild Things, which includes Wendell Berry reading it
ReplyDeletehttp://billmoyers.com/story/peace-wild-things/
Sunshine. And yes the longer days are so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteTexture. Many of your scraps from shirts just make me smile. Any, all, colors.
I bet you know my color...peace be with you indeed
ReplyDeleteVicky - Sunshine (almost)!always makes me smile ... but we do live in Texas (ha!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by!
Meliss - And for you, personal delivery. Can't wait for the beautiful racket!
ReplyDeleteBlue gray waves...is it June yet?
ReplyDeleteMeg - in my mind I'm gone to Carolina ... no place better
ReplyDeletePeace to you, Liz. I love the color of a wild rose. The word that has been going about in my mind is...abide.
ReplyDeleteI so much appreciate what you do here. ❤, s.
Oh, Liz, First how glad I was to see your small stitching and sense that things were a little lighter for you. I thought about this and you all day yesterday…trying to think of a word…still stuck, but this post ripples with the joy of community, sharing, supporting, etc…it's part of a deep sea of love. ox
ReplyDeleteI understand the impulse to 'wipe clean' the political and stick to what gives and emanates joy. I wonder if you will be able to maintain it as a stance. This landscape has been altered into such a horror show that all our old wisdom and practices governing balance and engagement don't seem to apply. What I hear in this post is an ongoing deliberative process, one which when articulated offers me substance and sustenance... perhaps as much or more than a peace totem ever could. So I say: hang in there! I forget the question? Something that gives me joy? what Hazel said -- the joy of community, sharing, supporting. If it's part of a "deep sea of love" as she says, let's not just accept but celebrate that there will be tides. In and out, like the breath.
ReplyDeleteGrace....... blues.... peace.....
ReplyDeleteThank you! Margery
Suzanna - I looked up abide (even when I think I know a word, I like to look it up). And there I found so much meaning:
ReplyDeleteTo bear patiently
To endure without yielding
To wait for
To remain stable
To continue in a place
And always: faith, hope, and love abide ... but the greatest of these is love
Thank you
Hazel - yes ... so much lighter. And these are so simple ... no embellishment, just the words, which I love to stitch. I am beyond thrilled to know I will be making many. Thank you for being a part of my healing.
ReplyDeleteDee -
ReplyDelete"There will be tides" ... yes, but of course. How is it I am still learning this?
Thank you.
Margery -
ReplyDeleteWelcome. And grace ... ah, a wonderful minister once had a bumper sticker that always made me smile. It read, "Grace happens"
Thank you and please do send me your name and address via email (lizackert@gmail.com)
Personally, calm is my word, in water and Nature and spirit. For the world empathy, so much else follows on from there.
ReplyDeleteLouise -
ReplyDeleteCalm water ... wise words, as we have come to learn from living in flash flood country.
And empathy ... yes. Thank you.
Hi Liz - I check in occasionally and I love the title of your blog. Currently in Virginia and hoping to "go" soon. Not to Texas but I was born there! I happened to check today and saw your post from a couple of days ago. In all of the political chaos, I have found such comfort from other artists online who share so many of my thoughts and feelings. So finding your post today was cheering and joyful and I feel connected -- so thank you! My favorite color is green but I love all the natural dye colors too. For the last couple of years I have been looking for Balance and keeping that word in my forethought. However, recently, I have just been looking for JOY and trying to choose it over any other words that create stress and threaten balance. Enjoy the sunshine - I miss big sky and sunshine!
ReplyDeleteGrace with Love. Acceptance with open arms when the caerulean sky envelopes us after a clearing storm.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the lovely words--
Hi Liz - a couple of comments. Thanks for the peace pin I look forward to that - it will add to my inspiration collection attached to my computer screen. Secondly - it is so good to see that the you are continuing to take action on the political front; but also that you are positively promoting peace. A very generous giveaway - may such acts of artistic kindness continue to create positive ripples. Go well, thanks and peace. B
ReplyDeleteJoyce -
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you here ... we lived in Williamsburg for 35 years before moving. It was a wonderful life "reset" as we were energized by the newness of land, music, food, flora and fauna. I highly recommend going someplace new to you!
Your words here were cheering and joyful ... making me feel connected, too. Thank you for that!
Dana
ReplyDeleteWords are the thread that binds us. It always lifts my spirits when you find your way here!
Barry
ReplyDeleteThank you again for throwing the pebble in the pond ... you have only to look at the comments above to see how much good you have loosed. I hope more folks will find their way to your blog, which is a visual delight with its reclaimed metals, stunning floral close-ups and heartbreakingly beautiful shots of your land. Indeed, it was the pictures of your mountains at the end of the February 22nd post that inspired the choice of the colors I used in your peace pin.
May you ever go well ...
Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteYou aren't the only one who got an intervention recently. Mike told me he wanted me to STOP! reading stuff that apparently makes me less than pleasant to live with. I haven't totally stopped, but I am trying to make my way back to my life and my other interests. You are getting quite a list, but if you get down to me, my word is OPEN and I love that warm pink on your first pin.
There is a quiet web of peace- I see it in your work and words, it's a life long attitude and many share your feelings. While I'm not a religious woman, I love the idea of "passing the peace". You are reminding us to do this in our own heartfelt way. Thank you for passing the peace. I will pass it on. Judy
ReplyDeletePeace is something to work at in perilous times--take a breath and imagine peace. It can help. Janet Wright
ReplyDeleteJude
ReplyDeleteYour presence always brings a smile
Judy-
ReplyDeleteWhile I have let go of the more formal part of religious observance, I recall with fondness the exchange of "Peace be with you ... and also with you"
Thank you for being a part of this heart-felt call and response
Janet -
ReplyDeleteAlways I have tried to imagine peace, never more so than now.
Thank you for adding to the measure of peace I find here. I do hope you'll send your mailing address to my email (lizackert@gmail.com)
Hi L - my imagine peace pin arrived - it is beautiful and is filled with so much personal and peace energy - so lovingly and delicately made. All those who receive one of these pins cannot but be inspired to reach out to others in their own way and continue the ripples. Thank you for your earlier comment-reply. Go well. B
ReplyDeleteBarry -
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I look forward to future contacts in the ether and hope that we will have cause to speak of peace more often than not.
Liz
what a lovely gesture - the world needs more people like you, spreading love (and peace) to all!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gill and welcome ... I hope you'll send your address to my email so I can make a pin for you as well (lizackert@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely place to visit tonight, loving everyone's words and comments. I was going to say that you don't have to bother, then I read your Please Note and well do as you wish. I feel better when I am less connected to the news of the day, otherwise you may hear me yellin' at the TV all the way down to your place!
ReplyDeleteI listened to this on the way home tonight, which led to some pondering over his ideas and the word itself. I do see some truth in this, but as one who seeks the safety he speaks of...
well my word would be calm, sage green.
http://www.npr.org/2017/03/02/517915510/americas-complacent-class-how-self-segregation-is-leading-to-stagnation
But then, on Sunday while at the Wisteria Festival with my sister...we treated ourselves to a t-shirt. I chose 'compassion'...a word like 'empathy' that I consider often.
I like blue jean blue too.
Compassion, blue. Mmmm...
http://www.justbuddha.com/
Again thank you for this heartfelt post and your generous spirit in our community (oh that is a big word for me~ lol)
Carry on and create as you do
xoNancy
Nancy -
ReplyDeleteThank you for keeping this thread going ... it will be a delight to stitch a pin for you (though I've realized they are taking longer than I expected, it all feels very much as it should be).
Liz~ Time is relative. I love that so many are loving your work. Things happen as they should most of the time, don't you think? At times I need to just remember that.
ReplyDelete(((hugs)))
Nancy -
ReplyDeleteWise words ... (((hugs))) back
hi Liz, how did I miss this??
ReplyDeleteas an admirer of your methodical work ethic, your meticulous notes shared here in your blog and ability to work in series, which have a knack of revealing the rhythm of Time passing I would be much honoured to receive one of your peace pins (big fan of blues and greens) How do I sign up??
in return I would love to send you a Small Pillow, let me know which one tickles your fancy?
p.s. all of this makes me So Happy, not the politics, the communinity, but you get that
Saskia -
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful synchronicity ... I was just over at your place, having missed seeing you for a while. I'd love to send you a pin, so please send your mailing address to my email (lizackert@gmail.com). I'll ponder which pillow is whispering to me and let you know by return email.
Liz,
ReplyDeleteMy shift to engaging in positive activities, selective writing and attention to the issues at city, county, state and federal levels has given me peace of spirit. My word is welcoming, for now the past 5 months I have tutored four women refugees from Congo DRC and we have shifted to working together four times each month as I am teaching them more crochet stitches and techniques and how to read patterns; they are making items to sell at the Farmer's Market this summer-fall, and at the local Peace Center. Warmth is exchanged and community is forming in this act of welcoming.
The color is green as I have begun to weed the beds and prepare for seeds and nourish the returning bits of perennial green....all for bees, butterflies and birds....and soon the seeds for food for me, my relatives and friends from Congo DRC.
A symbolic green welcoming of spring as snow is melted and ground becoming tillable here in the Rockies.
Always, much appreciation for your thoughts and writing.
Kristin
Wandering in late here Liz, so no need to respond, but I wanted to express how touched I am by your post. These have been difficult times to keep turning despair and outrage into something positive. I’ve been trying to hold onto peace in the form of a gentle resistance, a steadfastness. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteKristin -
ReplyDeleteYour story illustrates my greatest hope ... that good will prevail. Thank you for sharing this.
Beth -
ReplyDeleteIt's never too late for peace ... I'm so glad to see you here!
ReplyDeleteLiz - I am so late to the party here. I just came across your blog. It is wonderful how such a simple piece can evoke such emotion. Your pins calm me and give me hope. I have lived a long time and never felt so much anxiety about my country. Living alone now for the first time in my life it is an effort to stay positive and to turn the negative thoughts. What a great thing you are sharing. Oh - orange speaks to me these days.
I like the comment by Beth about 'gentle resistance'. Great phase.
Gale -
ReplyDeleteWelcome ... I hope you will find cause to return in the future. And orange ... my middle grandchild's favorite color. I will enjoy making you an orange peace pin.
Hi Liz
ReplyDeleteTiny prayer flags of hope, a generous gift for a fraught world.
I have been trying to find my feet again too
The words that seem to fit my frame of mind lately are Witness and Voice
They seem to encompass me and what my contribution can be going forward
Black and white captures the duality of seeing and speaking the stories I find
Thank you
Annalisa -
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that you mention black and white ... something that has been in my mind.
How beautiful. It's what people are craving more now than ever ... peace and connection. Found you through your sweet gifts to Hazel M.
ReplyDeleteMay love and peace fill your heart and those you bless with these sweet gifts. xx
Forgot to add my color. Lavender.
ReplyDeleteShelly ...
ReplyDeleteI'd love to send you a pin. Please email your mailing address to lizackert@gmail.com
Liz, I'm late to the party once again but am now catching up with visiting blog friends. I love this peaceful inspiration you offer, a soft whisper from your heart. My words would be *it's all right.* I've been hearing that a lot lately. Any color (if you're still doing these, with the new baby and all I would understand -- congratulations!) xx
ReplyDeletePeggy ... It's never too late! I'd love to make you a pin. Just send your mailing address to lizackert@gmail.com. And thank you ... we're loving the new addition to our family,
ReplyDeleteThese days I find myself humming Peace Like a River, a song I taught my kindergarten classes over the years. If you don't already know it, you should look it up �� And I would love to wear a peace pin on my dyeing smock! How do I find one? They are beautiful. -Rebekah
ReplyDeleteRebekah -
ReplyDeleteThe peace pin project is on temporary hiatus while I spend time with our grandkids. But if you send me your snail mail address, I'll be sure to make one for you when I get back in gear.
What kind of dyeing do you do? If you prefer natural dyes on your pin, I have cochineal pink, prairie tea tan, lichen rust, indigo blue, or madder coral linens to choose from.
I'm sure it has been said before, but I have recently been thinking a lot about kindness. Peace begins with kindness. If every person sets out to be kind to another soul each day we would be making peace.
ReplyDeleteInklequeen
ReplyDeleteIt really is that simple and that hard. I remember a long-ago coworker who routinely brought me to tears ... to this day I don't know why or what demons he was fighting. But my solution was to "kill him with kindness" and slowly, but surely, we moved on to a better place.
Since you didn't leave an email for me to get in touch, please let me know if you would like a peace pin by sending your snail mail address to lizackert@gmail.com
I read all of the comments as they come into my email. Today Inklequeen's comment and your response inspired me to come back! I agree, one-on-one kindness matters. Unfortunately one can only control their own thoughts and actions. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I too tried lots of kindness (in a variet of ways) with an unkind co-worker. It never did work and my health has been impacted. Then I just stepped back and out of the relationship as much as possible. That did help. Sometimes 'kindness' needs to be directed towards oneself!
ReplyDeleteLove this community!
xoNancy
Nancy - I confess I was anything but kind when I called Ted Cruz's office today. Fear of losing our health care is no excuse. Tomorrow I will hope to do better.
ReplyDelete