Experience Peace

"If you wish to
experience peace
provide peace
for another."

http://www.susunweed.com/Prayer_for_Peace.htm

My brother, sister and I are now in the process of planning the "Celebration of Life" for my Mother's 80 years of life. 80 years. Can you imagine 80 years of life?

The family photo above was taken at my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1996. They were a model of working together in a committed marriage. They didn't always agree on how to do things. They argued and disagreed, then they forgave each other and went forward in their lives together. They learned to "provide peace for one another." Not all the time. As my Mother developed Alzheimer's, it was difficult for my Father dealing with my Mother's memory loss. My Mother had difficultly dealing with my Father's hearing loss, and the impatience with having to repeat what she said all the time. Their lives, love and marriage continued, even through the frustrations of life's problems.

As my brother, sister and I go forward accomplishing the tasks of the funeral, cleaning out my Mother's apartment, settling her Estate, and working through the grieving process, I pray that we may "provide peace for one another." I keep remembering Deepak Chopra's ideas of the "emotions of peace," - compassion, understanding and love. If I can keep those words in the fore-front of my mind, I may remember that those emotions can help me "provide peace" for someone else, which will help me experience peace during this time of our lives.

Photo: Cathy and Tom Thompson's 50th Wedding Anniversay 1996