Hello, fellow lovers of all things green,
Previously, I shared coming upon an arrowhead in Cape May and the importance of leaving artifacts where they are, including the sculptures and books depicting American history. Indeed, while there are shameful times, we can learn and grow from them. The same is true about shameful things we still do if we collectively change how we judge and react to things. May we all begin pushing hands of peace.
Arrows were not only for battle; Native Americans used them to hunt. Bowhunting is a growing trend, which seems fairer than guns during a hunt. It reminds me of when our neighbor was outside with his young children and scolded hunters for how close an arrow came to his property. When we returned from Cape May, the screens on the porch were in shreds. Shot through. I think those hunters thought our house was Bill’s, and they were retaliating.
My Beloved Brother Bill Stone
Retaliation, an unfortunate human condition
It’s a human condition that we want to retaliate when attacked. When verbally attacked, too. Some attack weeds in their garden and yards with Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, which is illegal in most countries since authorities exposed evidence of the implications to our dear Earth and our health. Fortunately, there are Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers (link below.)
World leaders use the sophistication of weapons as a marker of the level of civilization. But it’s the contrary – isn’t it? Because we can destroy all life on Earth if we use weapons of mass destruction. There would be no civilization. No life.
It makes me think of my brother’s passion for Tai Chi, a practice he began teaching on August 8th, 1988. 8888. Four infinities. I use 8888 as markers between sections in my book, The Lesson of the Leaf, if I may share a brief section titled Pushing Hands.
May we learn to Push Hands of Peace.
Tai Chi is an ancient martial art with slow self-defense movements that evolved from observing animals in nature. Brother Bill became embraced in Tai Chi for the meditative principles based on nature and the balance of all living things. His demonstration of Pushing Hands is my favorite. With legs widely spaced and firmly grounded, he stands hands against hands with a partner. Their upper bodies flow back and forth together in cadence with the ocean tides, Bill’s hands slowly yielding to his partner’s push, then slowly moving forward to redirect the energy rather than resist the force with force.
A verbal way to push hands when someone gives you a point of view to incite an argument is to say, “Thank you for sharing – I hadn’t thought of it that way.” There’s no point in retaliating. You don’t have to agree. We all have freedom of speech. I hope we can preserve that. Just as I hope we can preserve history to grow forward.
There’s wisdom in the cadence of the ocean tides.
There’s such wisdom in the rhythm and strength of water that is soft to the touch and flexible. Water always finds its way to the lowest place, which may seem weak. But we know the strength of water. Think of the times in your daily life you can fill with your softness rather than pushing back with your words or actions. If we all act like water, we’d grow in strength and understanding of each other.
There’s Wisdom in the Rhythm of Water
We’ve spoken about the increase in bounty with the No-Till method of gardening – a technique of not digging up the soil because turning it over encourages more weeds. Just as digging up arguments and perpetuating them escalates more conflict.
But I’m not naive here. There are times when we must defend ourselves. But only use force as a last resort, and with that comes sadness for the devastating losses because the resolution didn’t come peacefully—in a civilized way.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” We credit Martin Luther King Jr. for sharing such wisdom included in his book, Strength to Love.
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com and your favorite Podcast App.
Link to the companion story: Silver Maple, a Native American Treasure
Both stories are featured in the Garden Dilemmas Podcast (enjoy the soothing 17 minutes):
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
Wisdom in the Rhythm of Water– Blog Post
Podcast Ep 89. Wisdom in the Rhythm of Water
Previous stories mentioned above:
Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers – Blog Post
Podcast Ep 169. Safe Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers
No-till Gardening- Blog Post
Podcast Ep 28. Three Sisters, No-Till Gardening
