Dear friends, This is not like the kind of post you would normally expect to find here on “Soulistry-Artistry of the Soul”. And yet – and yet, when I think about Soulistry, (its origins, purpose, raison d’être), I think of spirituality and recognize that for me, the essence of spirituality refers to the aspect of human life that seeks meaning, purpose, and connection beyond the everyday material world. That often involves exploring inner beliefs, values, and experiences that connect me to something larger than myself, whether that’s understood as a Higher Power, the Universe, Nature, or simply the interconnectedness of all life.
Soulistry (aka for me, ‘spirituality’) is a personal daily journey of self-discovery and personal growth that hopefully inculcates inner peace within me and a sense of belonging/connection with others for I believe that we are connected to one another – on many levels.
Lately, that ‘connectedness’ has felt fragmented … as more and more countries are finding their sense of democracy being attacked … as more and more people are frightened, terrified even, of what they see happening and anticipate even experiencing … as more and more relationships in families, work places, communities, places of worship are disintegrating.
It’s been less than three weeks since the ascendency of one man to the presidency of the United States which ushered in chaos and fear at very deep levels. Like others, I was upset – very upset – though at first I was not very public with my thoughts. But with each passing day as Project 2025 seemed to becoming a reality, that changed. I posted the following on my personal Facebook page and tonight realized that it was time – and appropriate – to post here.
If you’ve been following me on Facebook over the years, you know that the past 16 days, give or take a few, my FB postings on my personal page have been unlike me. I’m usually not political in public or on social media. But since DJT moved into the WH, I found myself speaking out – more and more. I don’t see that changing.
And here is why … in high school, I was a history buff. Mr. Jake Snyder was my teacher and he made history come alive for his students. He was a gifted teacher – passionate about history – a teacher who reinforced the words of George Santayana, the Spanish-American philosopher and author of “The Life of Reason” who wrote “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
I learned a lot about WW 11 from Mr. Snyder. And then as an adult, I learned about WW11 from … a visit to Dachau in Germany … a visit to Yad Vashem in Israel … a visit to a Florida school of a Jewish friend’s children where we had to enter via a locked door with a security guard behind bullet-proof glass and then use a code to enter the classrooms.
When I married my husband who was much older than I, he told me stories of what he experienced growing up in the Netherlands during WW11. I wish I’d never heard any of them. They were terrifying. At the time, I thought along the lines of “so glad lessons were learned and won’t be repeated.”
One night, before DJT was elected the first time, while watching the news together, my husband became unusually quiet and held his head in his hands. After a few moments, we talked and his words sent a cold shiver down my spine. “It’s happening again. I see it happening all over again.”
He was right. It is. As much as I miss Hans every day, and wish that cancer had not invaded his body and ended his life, I can honestly say that I am grateful he is not alive to experience what is happening. So that is why I speak up, speak out, blog, write letters … to try and encourage those who cannot see what is happening to look, really look … before it is too late.
And if they need a school refresher update, I encourage them to read their high school history book about WW11. It’s history and easily available to research and authenticate. It’s important to remember that when Hitler first took office, he knew he needed more than just laws to stay in control—he needed loyal enforcers who would carry out his agenda without question. While the SS didn’t officially take over in the first two weeks of Hitler’s rule, the seeds were planted.
What we’re seeing now with Trump’s second term is the same playbook. It’s called Project 2025. Same focus – white male supremacy … different century.
Mr. Snyder taught his students well. Not only did he teach us to learn from history, but to speak up when we saw injustice, when we recognized evil, when we knew deep within our gut that things are not right.
So, that’s what I am doing and I encourage you to do the same because those who believe in and support … DJT and his minions in the United States … the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre in Canada … the far-right National Rally party of Le Pen and figures like Maréchal … the Fratelli d’Italia party in Italy … the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party in Germany … Călin Georgescu of Romania … are underscoring a broader trend of increasing far-right and neo-fascist influence in global politics … specifically about the future of democratic institutions and civil liberties.
The global surge in far-right movements raises concerns that we must not ignore. We must speak out – resist – speak up – demonstrate – write letters – vote them out of power … not vote them into office.
There are people en route this moment to Guantanamo Bay — where housing is not yet ready, where children and pregnant women and the disabled and elderly will be housed. By any other name – a concentration camp.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
There she was, perched on the fence as I drove by.
She looked so peaceful.
I hadn’t noticed her before though I’m sure she was there when I had driven by that place, many times before. She was a welcome respite in a day seemingly empty of peace.
Images of peace are welcome, all the time, but particularly days such as these, where politics scream at us in the news, conversations, social media causing sleepless nights and stress-beyond-stress.
Miss Cat-Perched-On-A-Fence “spoke” to me and I realized that my walks had had no focus so that day I made a decision. No longer would I wait for something to attract my attention on my walks and drives. I would intentionally ‘focus’ and “look for” images of peace
Where have you seen images of peace? What have been those images of peace? When did you last experience/see/hear something that brought a deep sense of abiding peace? When did you last experience someone who brought a deep sense of peace?
Was the sense of peace in a conversation? in the experience of Nature’s wonder? Was it in a phrase you read or heard?
For me that day, it was a four-legged feline beauty, perched on a fence, doing nothing, other than simply be-ing and in doing so, she radiated peace for me.
Thank you little one, for blessing my day in a way I wasn’t expecting and for reminding me that there are unexpected blessings around us every day, when we open our eyes and ears and hearts to see hear and feel them.
Feeling self-confident or not, she stood before Goliath using the ‘sling and stones’ of word, of gentle voice, of eye-to-eye contact.
Her sermon has been shared countless times. Her words have been quoted and debated and thousands upon thousands have heard words of hope through her.
Like David, she taught Goliath an important lesson: Never underestimate the power of God however that happens even if even if and maybe even if and especially through a woman.
********** May God bless Bishop Budde. May she continue to listen to God’s still, silent voice within. And may she, her family, staff, and people she serves be protected from physical harm, emotional distress, and spiritual dis-ease. Amen. So be it. Amen.
January 20, 2025 is Inauguration Day in the United States. It is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
It is not a co-incidence that the two are happening on the same day this year.
While it is true that what is coming is darkness, it is also true, as Martin Luther King Jr reminded us, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Light. Love. Hope!
Light can drive out darkness! Love can drive out hate!
Let us not lose sight of the hope that is is Light and Love.
Time to process what has just happened in the United States … and really, what has happened that will affect the world.
So, I took a little walk around the yard, enjoying Mother Nature breathing in life, ruach, praying, healing.
The mushrooms that keep popping up in the yard may have a short life, but each day, through them, Mother Nature provides such wonderful colour, texture, shape, peace.
And a gentle feeling of hope begins to slowly surface.
The mushrooms make their way through the earth year after year after year, in spite of winter weather, summer heat, fall and spring rain.
So too will humanity.
Thank you, Mother Nature, for your everpresent reminder that “All shall be well. All shall be well. All manner of thing shall be well.” (Dame Julian who reminds us that even though things may not be well, in time, they “shall be.”)
Reach for the sun, mushrooms. Reach for the sky. Keep on growing and surviving in spite of the elements of Nature.
It rests in the lies he told; the crimes he committed; the supporters who blindly followed and follow; the team around him who have planned and will carry out Project 2025.
I cannot – must not …
We cannot – must not … allow it to consume our light.
Gentle cyberhug is on its way to all who are confused, who are angry, who grieve.
May the light … even if only just a flicker … never go out.
And if it goes out, may another stand with us as a reminder that “we are not alone.” Together, the light remains lit.
May we be gentle with ourselves – and one another.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen them. November 2nd and there they were … four strawberries in the strawberry planter on my deck, this morning!
We’ve already had our first snowfall yet, they survived the snow and the cold and the rain and there’s another berry “on its way” to full strawberryhood. <g>
So if you’ve had a difficult day … if the rains are causing your arthritis to flare … if traffic was frustrating … if the news brings despair … if the future looks bleak let these strawberries … give you a sweet surprise … put a smile on your face even if only for a second or two.
· in the midst of tears light raindrops on flower petals reveal beauty something about which one can be grateful if so in the midst of personal tears what are you grateful for today if so in the midst of political tears what can we be grateful for today if so in the wider scheme of life what can humanity be grateful for today name them name them out loud name them by writing name them so they will never be forgotten even in the midst of tears
