Online Debate

So from time to time I log onto Google+ to see what's going on. Today I see this post by the Dalai Lama.

We are all, by nature, clearly oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion. We all prefer the love of others to their hatred. We all prefer others’ generosity to meanness. And who is there among us who does not prefer tolerance, respect and forgiveness of our failings to bigotry, disrespect, and resentment?

I read through the comments, and saw what I expected to see, people agreeing, people disagreeing and people plugging their own religion. A few in the conversation had put more than two lines of thought into their message, and thankfully nobody trolled the hell out of the thread, but seeing the division of faiths disturbs me. So I replied to them and though I should post this here.

I have to say, I cannot claim great wisdom in my 27 years on this earth, but I can say this. One of the hardest lessons I have ever had to accept is that people are inherently good. While I have seen in us a grand capacity for hatred and destruction our natural reflex on the whole seems to be a more beneficial one.

I would also like to share a revelation for everyone here who has pressed their own path in this conversation. I deeply respect your religion. The ones that have been commented on the most I feel are all-together brothers in spirit, as we all worship the God of Issac, Abraham and Jacob. Another revelation I have had is though we feel we are following the truth, (and I do feel I am following the one TRUE truth in my journey) this does not exclude from others being right, or from having understood aspects of the truth that we have yet to understand. It does not seem miraculous to me that many of those we would call "holy", Gandhi, Mother Theresa or even the Dalai Lama, sound so similar in their teachings. Judeo-Christian teachings tell us that the path to righteousness is through love. Though a theme in Jesus' teaching was in letting go of the preoccupation with future concerns in favor of gratitude for the here and now, instead relying that God would take care of tomorrow. This is a theme also seen heavily throughout Buddhism. I feel both are true, though they come from different sources. The truth is not ever limited to our personal savior, and I feel I am better for being able to recognize this.

As always, I welcome comments.

My Grandma

Recently, my grandmother died. This came with it all of the emotions of a tight nit family healing together. Each of us in my family had our own way of expressing our grief. I found myself obsessed with writing a poem.

Enough people wanted to get hold of it, so I'll post it here.

My Grandma

Come family, come friends.

We gather here today

to mourn a regrettable end

and to send her on her way.

We've all lost something great,

the Matriarch Anita Dell.

I've realized well to late

how big a loss that we've been dealt.

Anita was my Grandmother,

She was mortar to our clan,

From family news that she would cover

to the dinners that she ran.

At gathers it was known

she would want to play her part.

She would open up her home

so that we could open up our hearts

Come family, Come friends.

We gather to share tears,

to mourn regrettable ends

and to celebrate her years

I look around at the faces

of her glorious legacy.

Her greatest of God's graces,

her loving Christian family

And one can only think

about the way she'd feel

when the family would sing

God's graces at a meal.

If that's what was important,

we'd let love into our lives,

then she would would be content

with her family by her side.

So, Come family, come friends.

We gather in this place

we stand and we commend

the family that she raised.

Every child that was brought

into her family line

was treasured and was taught

that family's the best thing you can find.

On holidays we converge

and would fill a house with song,

the young one's she'd encourage

to join and sing along.

If ones accomplishments

were to be our only grade,

her full life was an event

due to the family she made.

Come family, come friends.

We're here to say goodbye,

Our feelings to help mend,

and to have a little cry.

Share a joy, it doubles.

Sorrows shared divide.

In my time of troubles

the burden's light I find.

Our family's a great one,

The best I've ever seen.

It's the greatest thing she built,

a solid family tree.

Come family, come all.

We've gathered at God's grace.

Grandma's memory will never lull

with this family still in place.