proud of you I am . you are in good company

I say this often. Be proud of yourself. Many great orators have carried the same timeless message: be still, stand your ground, and let your response to wrongs rise from a place of love.

I was sitting in my coffee spot yesterday morning thinking about all of you who peacefully marched and danced and sung and talked and waved your signs yesterday and I thought how proud of you I am. How proud we should all be - we are a part of a long tradition of change and good.

I was afraid for you. I admit that. Everything felt like a powder keg. The intimidation was real. But you were right. You deserve to speak and you deserve to be heard.

All the great orators — from Jesus and the Buddha to Socrates, Confucius, Gandhi, to the great women who speak for the Earth and for the love of all who walk here: Jane Goodall, Wangari Maathai, Vandana Shiva, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and my personal hero Sylvia Earle — have all carried the same timeless message:

- be still, study, believe in your worth, stand your ground, and let your words and work rise from a place of love. And even in the face of adversity and hardship they stoically continued their life’s work.

Your life’s work does not need to be seen. You do not need to be remembered. Your work can be small. And when you and I join hands or meet to discuss our life’s work we gain strength. We become a force.

As I sat in my corner of my little garden I began to draw a lazy list of some great speakers and writers who have influenced and uplifted me over my life.

Sitting in my garden remembering these names brought to mind a few of their words. Many of these quotes were written across the top of my classroom blackboard at one time or another. or on magnets on fridges or sticky notes on walls. We all need a little inspiration from the greats to help us do good in our own small way.

Here is a few from this list. I have wrangled them into some kind of chronological order to try to track the timeline of loving resistance.

c. 563–483 BCE — In ancient India, the Buddha taught stillness and awareness. “Peace comes from within.”

c. 470–399 BCE — In Athens, Socrates asked questions that drew people toward truth. “Know thyself.”

c. 551–479 BCE — The Chinese philosopher of harmony and order Confucius said simply, “Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself.”

c. 4 BCE–30 CE — From two thousand years ago Jesus of Nazareth spoke of forgiveness, compassion, and peace, “Love one another.”

1869–1948 — Mahatma Ghandi who met dreadful violence while leading his people towards independence with the power of nonviolence. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

And in more recent times:

1901–1975 — Marjory Stoneman Douglas Defender of the Florida wetlands, she wrote, “The Everglades is a test. If we pass it, we may get to keep the planet.”

1906–1997 — Mother Teresa who lived and worked among the poor of Calcutta and was a huge influence on me as a young woman, “Do small things with great love.”

1910–1994 — John Lewis. The American congressman who marched across Selma’s bridge urged us, “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble.”

1914–2005 — Rachel Carson. Writing in 1960s America, her book Silent Spring warned the world of the careless use of chemical pesticides - she rang the alarm loudly but few listened, yet we still remember her words, “In nature nothing exists alone.”

Nelson Mandela. From his long imprisonment in South Africa, he emerged speaking peace “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”

Desmond Tutu. You remember him. I think he is still alive. Our laughing bishop of freedom had the most important message for us today, “Do your little bit of good where you are.”

We can’t forget the Dalai Lama. Exiled from Tibet, he continues to smile and remind us, “My religion is kindness.”

Jane Goodall (recently deceased - Gods bless her) who we all love for her work in the forests of Tanzania, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Little known Wangari Maathai. Planting trees in Kenya, she declared, “When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope.”

And even more recently:

Vandana Shiva. From India, she reminds us that the Earth is living — “The Earth is our mother and we are all her children.”

Sylvia Earle. One of my personal heroes so she gets a longer bio: 😆 born in 1935 in New Jersey, she is an oceanographer, explorer, and marine biologist often called “Her Deepness.” She has spent more than 7,000 hours underwater, lead over 100 ocean expeditions, and was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She remains a highly influential voice for protecting the oceans and inspiring people to care for the planet.“With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea.”

Malala Yousafzai. From Pakistan, survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her outspoken work in girls education “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

The youthful dynamo Greta Thunberg from Sweden, she stands steady before the rich and powerful: “Act as if your house is on fire, because it is.”

And you. You and your words are important and have value and though you may not see it - your words have impact and change lives.

We do not need to agree with the politics or actions of each of these examples but I believe each of these people spoke from love, for humanity, for truth, for the Earth itself; reminding us that the way forward has always begun in the quiet, steadfast loving heart. Many of their messages were met with violence from those in authority. But their message endured to inspire us in our small corners of the world.

To be the best versions of ourselves and never give up trying.

Yesterday you walked with a quiet steadfast loving heart and I love you for it.

Which of these figures speaks to you? Do you have a quote that you can add?

Now. Back to the garden.

Celi