Hope and Peace !

 

I gathered some old and recent photos of flowers and buds above,  to refresh myself of the hope that revives us in difficult times. 

With the Israel-Palestine war getting intensified with more people dying and many getting displaced, and two people dying and about sixty injured during a series of bomb blasts at a prayer meeting today,  about 20 kilometres away from where Anna and I live, I slipped into a a sense of loss ! Is violence and harm to others the preferred way when there is a conflict !

During my training in Alternate Dispute Resolution, one oft reported thought that I had internalised was, that dialogue has a chance to resolve conflicts. During two conflicts I was involved in the recent years, I could not take the conflict to a stage of resolution. It was a terrible disappointment. I withdrew from my involvement in both situations admitting my inability to take forward the dialogue to a level of meaningful engagement. On both those occasions, I have had long associations with people because of which it would have been naturally easier  to find a middle path. That is not how it turned out at the end. The strained relationships are yet to recover !

It was in the background of this inner movements, I heard a talk from a a senior professional, who referred to the life experiences through the insight of tolerance, faith and acceptance. I knew that there was a prolonged stressful situation in his work place on account of difficult interpersonal relationships. In an indirect reference to that difficult situation, the message that I received from the talk was the vision of faith and love that directed his path and relationship.    

The message that lifted my spirit was, no situation is too hopeless to give up hope. 

It is to revive my spirit I gathered the above photographs, the flowers and buds to symbolise that hope. 

The buds in the last three photos from our garden taken today, appearing in the rose bushes,  even amidst the torrential in the last two weeks, refreshed me immensely. 

The flowers represent many messages. One that drew me to a personal experience today was the hope of peace they represent. 

It is in pursuing that message amidst all inhibitions and reservations, one can find the inner ambience ready to accept people as they are. 

There were communications from three people, during the last week who were part of one of the conflicts that I was involved in, which reminded me of the gradual healing journey that is taking place. People long for inner wellness and that is the hope that makes me comfortable to wait for a reconciled state. 

Our environment and work place need abundance of peace and wellness. To love is to forgive and receive people as they are! I needed this message today!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)