finding ease.

There have always been those who hope that by tearing things down they may build themselves up.  It's a strategy used in both religion and politics to divide us and lay waste. Extreme attention to individuality places us at odds with each other when in fact we are deeply connected and would feel more at ease if we knew it.

Even the dinosaurs tended their nests and cared for their young, and so we need not have any sense of supremacy when it comes to nurturing our kin.  At my family reunion last week, some of my cousins and I marveled at the mess our generation has made of things, with the natural environment being our largest concern. What will it take to set things right? For the last hundred years, the primary focus of politics has been growth. For the last thousand years, the primary focus of religion has been dominance. Shall we instead place our focus on stewardship of the environment, and care for each other? We'd be better for it.

I am supposed to make a presentation next Sunday, August 4 on turning grief into action, and thus using action to process and utilize grief as a push toward growth. It is motivated by the loss of my sister Sue to the pancreatic cancer that cut her life short. How can we possibly make sense of such things? We cannot. But we can direct our energies into making good use of what ails us. We are often left during times of grief, wondering what we can do. But there is always something one can do.

This morning I 'll meet with the board from Holiday Island Community Church to talk about a new cross for their altar. Then I pick up the engraved top panel for a box I'm making for my sister Sue's ashes. Next I assemble the box and glue up its parts. The photo shows it in a trial assembly with the corners held tight with tape. Still this morning I'll meet with the features editor from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Make, fix, create, and assist others in living and learning likewise.