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[Heartfelt gratitude to the artists who made these randomly sourced images off Google.]
“Remind yourself what it’s like to have fun on All Fool’s Day. Surprise your loved ones and co-workers with whimsy ~ not practical jokes that embarrass. Instead, devise comical, absurd, and amazing surprises.
At home, turn everything topsy-turvy: serve bagel, pita, or English muffin pizzas for breakfast. And pancakes or waffles for supper.
After school tell them you’ve got to take them to a doctor or dentist appointment and then head for the ice cream parlor.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ‘Simple Abundance’
Perhaps it’s because April is so full of dazzling sunlight. Perhaps it’s because the earth seems greener. Perhaps it’s because resurrection is this month’s signature. Is this why our spirits start to soar? Now the season of darkness diminishes as the season of Light increases in strength. In the garden, primroses, pansies, violets, tulips, and lilacs burst with color. Each flower, plant, and bough bears profound witness to the power of authenticity. This month we continue to grow gracefully, creatively, and joyously into our authentic selves, awakening to our own beauty.
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ‘Simple Abundance’
Painting of Red Robin by Elizabeth Blaylock
Thank you to the beautifully wise and creative writer Sarah Ban Breathnach. Her writings shared in celebration of April help bring me to the computer with encouragement to copy them out here.
Copying. Plagiarizing. These are generally unpleasant and emotion-filled words.
However I am reminded of an important childhood memory, at the tender age of seven, when I spent two weeks camping in a trailer with my mom and creating some of the best memories her and I made together. I enjoyed swimming daily at the campground’s outdoor pool. One day, upon waking earlier than usual, I felt inspired to go hold my nose and jump in again… splashing around like a frog and pretending I was a dolphin. Away I ran barefoot through the early morning sunlight, clad in my little girl’s one-piece with towel in hand. It was exciting to be there earlier than usual… it was so quiet! The doors were unlocked and I walked through the showers to the pool area.
There were people at the other end that I paid no mind to as I dropped my towel, held my nose and bombed into the deep end of the pool to joyfully splash and scramble with terrifying excitement to clutch the side of the pool. I swam around a bit before noticing that I was being called over. The grown-up of the group at the other end of the pool was asking if I was part of the lesson? No? I had no idea what he was talking about? At last I understood what he was saying: Terribly sorry but the pool is closed and you’ll have to leave.
I remember feeling embarrassed and chagrined, but also curious. What were they learning? What else was there to know about swimming other than jumping in and dashing to the side to bravely survive not-drowning? I clutched my towel around me and walked around to the outside of the chain-link fence. I watched. I listened to what the instructor was telling everyone. And it made sense. No one had ever told me that before. I stood there, getting a lesson without ever signing up, by watching and soaking it up. I became a much stronger swimmer that day. Less clumsy frog-like movements and smoother dolphin-like movements. I began to understand the concept of holding my breath better, and practiced all I’d seen when the pool opened at 9am.
I feel a similar rush of surreptitiously spied and copied excitement this morning. Lately I’ve ‘fallen off the horse’ of writing regularly. Feeling inspired to copy out and share Ms. Breathnach’s writings is like a gentle ‘leg up’. I feel encouraged by copying out what she wisely wrote years ago, wisdom that has inspired me for years and does again this morning. It feels the same way that memorizing classic poetry twenty years ago did for my own writing: it tremendously inspired me and soon found me writing my own poems.
It feels like newness. And growth. And spring!
Copying others isn’t always a bad thing. Copying others and saying it was our own idea is terribly uncool and creates bad karma. But copying others and sharing who it’s from and being thankful for the inspiration is completely different. We all feel honored when we can inspire another. Imitation is the finest form of flattery, specifically when acknowledged and honored.
Thanks Sarah… for helping me to get back up on that horse!
Horse Painting by Alison Zapata
References:
Author Sarah Ban Breathnach’s SIMPLE ABUNDANCE: A DAYBOOK OF COMFORT AND JOY
Elizabeth Blaylock – Oil Painting of Red Robin
Alison Zapata – Horse painting
It was a tragic event that happened before I was born, but it was a time that must be remembered and prevented from ever happening again. This post is my torch… my bringing of light to a dark, dark place in history. May our knowledge enlighten and raise our understanding of the pressure we must still exert to obtain and maintain equality for all to enjoy peace on earth.
Source: Wikipedia
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James Earl “J.E.” Chaney (May 30, 1943 – June 21, 1964)
Andrew Goodman (November 23, 1943, – June 21, 1964)
Michael Henry Schwerner (November 6, 1939 – June 21, 1964)
In 1964, civil rights activist Andrew Goodman volunteered along with fellow activist Mickey Schwerner to work on the “Freedom Summer” project of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to register blacks to vote in Mississippi.
Having protested U.S. President Lyndon Johnson’s presence at the opening of that year’s World’s Fair, Goodman left New York to train and develop civil rights strategies at Western College for Women (now part of Miami University) in Oxford, Ohio.
In mid-June, Goodman joined Schwerner in Meridian, Mississippi, where the latter was designated head of the field office. They worked on registering blacks in rural areas to vote. Michael Schwerner had been working closely with an assistant in the office and fellow civil rights activist James Chaney.
Chaney had previously participated in the 1962 Freedom Rides as well as other non-violent demonstrations. He organized voter education classes, introduced CORE workers to local church leaders, helped them get around the counties, and acted as a liaison with other CORE members.
On the morning of June 21, 1964, the three men set out for Philadelphia, Neshoba County, where they were to investigate the recent burning of Mount Zion Methodist Church, a black church that had agreed to be a site for education and voter registration. On their return to Meridian, the three men were stopped and arrested by Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price for allegedly speeding. The trio were taken to the jail in Neshoba County where Chaney was booked for speeding, while Schwerner and Goodman were booked “for investigation”. After Chaney was fined $20, the three were released and told to leave the county. Sheriff Price followed them on State Route 69 to the county line, then turned around at approximately 10:30 p.m. On their way back to Meridian the three young men were stopped on a remote rural road by two carloads of KKK members who approached their car and killed all three men.
Legacy and memorials:~A tall stained glass window in Sage Chapel at Cornell University honors the memory of James, Andrew and Michael.
~A memorial at the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church commemorates the three civil rights activists.
~A plaque near Riverside Boulevard at 70th Street in New York City commemorates the three men.
~The sacrifice of the murders contributed to Congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, federal legislation to enforce social justice and constitutional rights.
~In 1998 the James Earl Chaney Foundation was set up by his brother Ben Chaney in his honor to promote the work of civil rights and social justice.
~The band Flobots’ song, “Same Thing,” asks to bring back Chaney.
~Meridian, a novel by Alice Walker, portrayed issues of the civil rights era.
~Phil Ochs wrote his song, “Here’s to the State of Mississippi”, about these events and other violations of civil rights that took place in that state.
~Tom Paxton included the tribute song, “Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney”, on his 1965 album, Ain’t That News.
~In the novel Song of Susannah by Stephen King, Susannah Dean reminisces about her time in Mississippi as a civil rights activist. She thinks about making love to James Chaney and singing the song “Man of Constant Sorrow”.
~The murders were depicted by Norman Rockwell in an illustration titled Southern Justice (Murder in Mississippi) published in Look in June 1965. (See my previous post)
~Richard Farina’s song “Michael, Andrew and James” performed with Mimi Farina, was included in their first Vanguard album, Celebrations for a Grey Day, released in 1965.
~Simon and Garfunkel’s song “He Was My Brother” was dedicated to Andrew Goodman who was their friend and a classmate of Simon’s at Queens College.
Reference source: Wikipedia
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The legend of St. Valentine goes back to the early days of Christianity when Christians were being persecuted by the Romans. One Christian, Valentinus, was tried as a heretic and sentenced to death. In prison, Valentinus befriended a guard who respected his wisdom, and soon the guard brought his seven-year-old blind daughter Julia, to Valentinus for lessons.
Daily, the two talked of important things, and Julia developed a deep love and respect for her mentor. One day Julia asked him, “Valentinus, do you think I will ever be able to see?”
Valentinus thought for a moment and answered, “With love in your heart and belief in God, anything is possible, Julia.”
At that moment, Julia was overtaken with a flash of light, and suddenly her eyesight was restored. “Valentinus, I can see!” the child shouted.
“Praise be to God,” he humbly answered.
The next day when Julia came to visit Valentinus, he was gone. He had been taken to his execution. Julia found this note:
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Be a true valentine by reminding your beloved ones that they are unlimited. Inspire them to trust their heart’s wisdom, and miracles will occur.
And if you are your own valentine, remember that all the love you need is within you, just as you are, right where you are.
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Today’s post sourced from A Deep Breath of Life, by Alan Cohen, a favorite author.
He writes, “Consider this book a hand to hold as you scale the mountain of your destiny. In just a few minutes each day, you can step back from your worldly activity and draw in a deep breath of spiritual renewal.”
This cherished book filled with ‘daily inspiration for heart-centered living’ brightens every one of my days.
Sweet Honey in the Rock captured my heart decades ago when I’d enjoy their music and performances on episodes of PBS programs Reading Rainbow and Sesame Street with my young children. The more I learned about them and the more music of theirs I collected, the deeper my love for them blossomed.
They are an all-woman, African-American a’cappella ensemble. A Grammy Award-winning troupe, they express their history as women of color through song, dance, and sign language. They have worked together from four singers to the difficult five-part harmony with a sixth member translating with sign language. Although the members have changed over 4 decades, they continue to sing and have helped produce children’s albums as well as those aimed at adults.
The group was founded in 1973 by Bernice Johnson Reagon, who was teaching a vocal workshop with the Washington, D.C. Black Repertory Company. She retired from the group in 2004. The name of the group was derived from a song based on Psalm 81:16 which tells of a land so rich that when rocks were cracked open honey flowed from them. Bernice said that the first song in which four women blended their voices was so powerful there was no question what the name of the group would be. Their music combines contemporary rhythms and narratives with a musical style rooted in the Gospel music, spirituals and hymns of the African-American Church. The ensemble tackles five-part harmonies and composes much of their own music. They address topics such as motherhood, spirituality, freedom, civil rights, domestic violence, immigration issues, and racism. Reference details: Wikipedia ~ Official site: SweetHoney.com
I celebrate these dynamic performers along with their outstanding music! These women sing for peace. I applaud their excellent efforts and want to share the inspiration they offer right here on my blog. Watch for more to come! Let’s clap and sing along as they help us raise our voices and stand up for peace. We can pray for peace daily, and we can take action. Let’s get inspired and see what we each can do towards creating peace on earth, right here and right now! Let’s stand up for freedom! Let’s stand up for peace!
Sweet Honey In The Rock at the Carpenter Centre, with commentary by the bwordproject.com
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