Pondering which of the many household tasks I should attack this morning, "cleaning the bathrooms" lost to "organizing our old guest bedroom." I am in the process of making it my creative space. Lots of inspirational things to foster creative writing, sewing and whatnot are in boxes and baskets. I am eager to get it done, but am enjoying the process of discovering what can be tossed and what inspires. Simplify is my new motto for 2022.
I love the simplicity of this cover design :)
Pawing through a basket, I found a story written and illustrated by my oldest son, Jared many years ago. He is now thirty-seven with three kids of his own. It is a simple, laminated fold-up book dummy that I have kept for many years as it is so precious to me. On this cold, rainy Martin Luther King Day, Jared's simple words have got me thinking.
"Once there was a seed that growed."
Yesterday, on CBS Sunday Morning, Journalist Steve Hartman once again brought me to tears. He shared an amazing segment about a white woman who fell in love with a black man when they were in school. Because of very difficult family situations, with deep disapproval from her mother, she broke up with Steve. She always regretted not marrying him, and the mention of that time brought her to tears.
So many years later she decided to track him down. Against all odds, she found him in a nursing home. Barely recognizing him, she still saw in his eyes he was the same Steve Watts she had fallen in love with. He had endured a very difficult life, two strokes and being homeless on the streets.
"and it grow and growed."
But love prevailed... and those seeds of love, which began in rocky soil many years ago were ready to grow again. Just so I don't ruin the ending, please watch this segment yourself. Get your Kleenex ready. It will warm your heart.
"and he was all growed up."
So what does Jared's story and Steve Hartman's segment have to do with Martin Luther King? He and so many others, planted seeds of peace, discussion, education, inspiration and change so many years ago. The learning and understanding still continues in 2022. Watching this story, I wondered how these two lives could have been different if the seeds of their love had fallen on rich and fertile soil.
I think that today is all about love. To quote a Beatle's lyric, "Love is all we need." Imagine what a world it would be if we all mindfully approached every moment of our day with love.
Think about that for a minute....
We could change the world.
To honor Martin Luther King today, let's take the rocky soil of hate, distrust and selfishness, throw it into the back yard pile and compost it back into fertile soil. Let's plant seeds of compassion, empathy, understanding, service and community and see what grows.
We might just end up singing, "What a wonderful world." (listen here)
"The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky,
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do.
They're really saying I love you."
Or maybe if we love, just the beginning :)