Not A Political Post

 For anyone that doesn't know, my sister Hannah lives in Alaska.  My sister Susie lives in Maine, so basically as far across the country from each other as you can get.  And I live in Northern Ontario, in Canada...several days of driving away from either of them, or a really expensive plane ticket.  And a border crossing.  

Besides physical distance, there are many other things that differentiate us from each other - things like what foods we like, what allergies we have, how many children we have, how tall we each are...and there are other things that have impacted us separately to make us the way we are, even more different from each other -  such as education, life experiences, friendships, relationships, jobs and of course our beliefs. 

Despite these facts, we maintain a very close relationship.  You have to know this took a LOT of work...especially when we were younger.  Like all siblings, we did not always get along...and we did all the usual things like taking each other's stuff, tattling on each other, trying to make each other look bad.  Two of us would frequently try to ditch the third, who would run whining to our Mom (Hannah - it was Hannah, in case there was any doubt).  One of us, being taller and stronger would often exert her physical strength to make others of us do things we didn't want to do such as eat a huge spoonful of brewers yeast - without gagging. (It took me several tries and sometimes on dark nights, I can still taste it!)  Another of us sometimes used her extensive vocabulary to write mean bits of poetry about the others, or make them unwittingly say derogatory comments about themselves. (I can still hear Hannah earnestly explaining that she was very  depraved - she meant deprived! - while Susie and I rolled on the floor with mirth)  But I think because we did spend a good bit of time in fairly isolated settings...and mostly because our Mom made us...we gradually become friends.  Close friends.  Best friends.  

And I have been thinking about this a lot lately.  Because of course we don't all support the same political platforms, and we don't always agree about the courses of action that our respective countries have taken lately.   

FIRST, let me quickly interject that this is not going to be a political post.  When we started Lantern Light & Laughter, we agreed that our goal was to shine hope into the world, and to maybe share some of the skills and knowledge we have been blessed with, and not to bring politics into the mix.  So I'm not doing that.  

What I am going to do is share what I think keeps my sisters and I close, despite significant differences.  

So I started thinking about this a couple of weekends ago, because Susie and I were discussing something that was in the news.  She could easily tell what I thought, because of a social media post that I liked (thanks algorithms!) so she sent me some links to look at that offered a different perspective.  I read her information and found it had viewpoints that I had not considered...but guess what happened?  I still did not agree with her.  But...I could understand why she felt the way she did and when I responded with my reasons, she could see why I felt differently. We know that our different life experiences have impacted what we understand or believe about certain things.  I did not yell at her or call her names.  And she did not block me...(at least, I think?)...and we remained close as ever.  

And that made me think about how many times these days, I see people arguing on social media platforms, so entrenched in their viewpoint and so unwilling to acknowledge the perspective of someone else.  I see lengthy threads where the conversation spirals into personal attacks and where people are seemingly unable to separate the issue from the person.  Instead of arguing for or against a concept, which in itself might still be acrimonious, the dialog consists of vicious name-calling and questioning the morals, intelligence and even the heritage of the opposing sides.  It doesn't take much to go too far...or to say too much.  At the cost of their friendships.  And worse, at the cost of family.  Honestly, as someone who has legitimately lost many family members to accidents and illness, I cannot understand how you can cut someone off completely simply because they don't agree with you??  (But that's my own personal issue, so we'll leave that one for now.)

I think as a society, we have forgotten to look for the middle, for the compromise.  And I know that word is alarming to anyone that grew up under Christian principles, but I'm not using it in the sense that you compromise your beliefs, but rather that you find a way to extend understanding and to try to see how someone in a different situation from you might experience things.  And also look at your own responses and be honest about what makes you feel strongly one way or another.  And most of all, recognize that there are more important things than being right.  And that you can win and still lose.  

And that standing up for something or someone is not the same as standing against someone.  

And that sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be quiet.  After all, no matter what any of us says or does, we don't know the end of the story.  Only One knows that.  All we can control is how we act and how we respond.  All we can do is try to act right in the current situation.

That's what my sisters and I try to remember.  And so far, it seems to be working.  

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Sincerely,

Sarah

Irish Thoughts

 My sisters and I are proud of our Irish roots - even though they are a great-grandmother away- and we always love to exchange Irish blessings on St. Patrick's Day. (Our children explain to us that most Americans claim some sort of Irish heritage, and it's not that unusual.) My favorite one is "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back..."  

A few weekends ago, my husband and I went to Seward, Alaska.  It's about a 9 hour drive from our home and you go through at least three mountain passes along the way. The views were breathtaking around us.  Fortunately, I wasn't driving this time, so I had lots of chances to snap photos and exclaim over the views.  

Right in front of me was the navigational map in our car and I was really struck by how different our journey looked on the 2-dimensional map view than it did in reality out the window. If you looked just at the map, you would think it was going to be a relatively flat drive. Yet, here I was surrounded by mountains, lakes and forests. 

How often do we plan a journey - either real or metaphorical, and think it that things will turn out 

         for sure a certain way?

But....Everything looks different

                                            in reality.

Your plan might look flat, even boring.  

You might have a strong purpose, and a certain destination.  But the reality will take you to places you never imagined....

Perhaps through difficulty. 

Perhaps you find unexpected beauty.  

      Perhaps you find friends. 

Maybe there is sunshine, snow or rain.  

Your destination might even change. 

 I have learned that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. 

No matter what your road looks like today, 

may you find blessing and friendship along the way, and may you enjoy the journey.

                          Happy St. Patrick's Day!     

   

Control and Chaos

         The fantasies begin during the dark season, while snow lies deep in the fields and the woodpiles dwindle daily.  The January arrival of all the catalogs I subscribed to willy-nilly makes it worse. I try to focus. To be present in this season.  I really do love winter and cold and snow. But my mind wanders.  I sit through the long evenings circling and marking the things I want...all the newest flowers and all the tried-and-true vegetable seeds.  I do the math and do a lot of editing, wishing someday I could afford everything and imagining the resulting chaos of color! 

        As the warmth of the February sun increases, I reach for my pen and graph paper and begin planning my garden.

         I blame my mother for this seasonal disorder. 

        And my grandfather. 

        And various other irresponsible adults from my childhood.

                     #metoo if this is your story.  

                     I'm here to tell you it's ok. 

                     And there is no help. 😂

         I did not always love gardening. As a kid, I often thought I would be found dead at the end of a long row beside a pile of weeds.  Somewhere along the way that changed, and the joy of growing things took hold. (or took over)

        Every season has its own challenges and benefits, and each offers life lessons out there in the dirt. The most important is this. Ya gotta roll with it.   I make plans and draw them but often I have to change them. Or I decide that a different way works better when I'm out in the actual garden. The weather, the bugs, the chaos that sometimes comes... seasons too short or too long and plans that get trashed...it's all a part of it, and the learning and doing never stop.  There are things you can control and things you can't.

        Like your memory.

        Once I bought two bags of gladiolus bulbs on a really good deal at Walmart in February and when it was finally warm enough to plant them, I couldn't find them! Since I got them way too early, I thought I had put them in the root cellar to keep...but they were gone.

        So, the next time I went back to the store, I grabbed two more bags. I was determined to have a beautiful circle of them!  Of course, I found the other bulbs in another cool place - the bottom of the restaurant-sized cooler in the back room! It was a lot of work, but I planted all 120 around the farm and garden!   They were gorgeous! Note: I do not view this as a waste of money. 

        Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting, I hope you know the satisfaction of a well-planned and executed garden, a fine growing season, and an abundant harvest. 

        And may sunflowers surprise you and grow wherever the squirrels plant them!  

These are two plans I have for this year. 

I am planting an apothecary garden! 

And trying a few new things...like gourds and luffas

and I want to make a tunnel for the squashes!

(I may be addled by Pinterest!)  I'll let you know what happens!

      I would love to see your plans in the comments! 

       And what is your favorite bean or tomato?

       

     Keep believing in Springtime and Harvest!

        Keep planning and being flexible!

      Keep growing toward the light.