Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Clare,

What a beautiful weekend you've described.

We, too, got snow, 6 - 8 inches of it. And the house and yard are beautiful. I had to go out in the early parts of the storm yesterday for the Peace Walk. I misread the email and planned on being there at 11:45 for a 12 o'clock start, but it began at 11- so I had to make a careful dash over to Bethlehem. My friend waited for me and we got on the route about 20 minutes late. Then we were talking and went right at a Y when we should have gone left. we figured out that we were off track and cut over to the right route. We caught up to them about 1.5 miles into the walk and then had a great time. We were truly walking in a winter wonderland. 

It turns out that Baltimore Yearly Meeting planned the first peace walk back in 1960 and then the local churches/Meeting took it on as one of their peace initiatives. It was great to be a part of a 50+ year tradition. There is one Quaker woman who has done it every year since 1960, there may be more, but I heard people taking about her. It was 27 degrees and it snowed pretty hard the whole walk, but they shortened it to 6 miles because the snow was covering the roads and it was getting dangerous. Next year I hope to do the whole 10 miles...we had a good time…and I never felt cold.

My friend and I talked and caught up for the most part. Her husband recently returned from an Afghanistan deployment and they are struggling…I told her my experiences of separating from husband and how it made so much sense at the time…still does…the reasons were valid and the results are a real marriage…unlike before. So, sometimes we have to dismantle our lives to make room to build a better version.

At Meeting this morning I was thinking of the people that i know who are living with serious issues right now. Our uncle and brother who have bladder cancer, a friend who was just diagnosed with breast cancer, my friend and her marital issues…and yet there were 2 babies born this weekend…and the joy that brings gives me hope that there is balance in the world.

My favorite carol is O Holy Night…I especially love to sing it in french, its original version. Oh well, no public singing this Christmas. I will just have to sing at home….or the car…or an a walk…

Love and Light until tomorrow,
Maggie