With everything that is going on in the world, it is sometimes tempting to go on a rant about politics and intolerance, beliefs and violence.

Not that there is anything wrong with a good rant. It is a way to try to make sense of everything, and it is a way to nudge those who listen to share their thoughts so that we may sort things out together. It may even be a way to open eyes and hearts.

I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like our opinions run circles around events, but then again if you run circles long enough you get momentum, and as you get momentum the centrifuge forces are bound to catapult some person or ideas out of the loop and a fresh out-of-the-box perspective is born. Ya never know.

As for me, my fears and opinions usually boil down to silence. In that place I find peace. In that moment I remember that individual actions and attitudes have much power as well. One person in my entourage comes to mind and I hope she won’t mind if I name names.

Any day of the week, no matter what crazy insane thing is going on in the world, you can be certain of one thing: if you bump into Ellen Bethea, your entire world will brighten up instantly. She is joy incarnate. She makes everyone feel welcome, not just by her, but in the entire world. I have not mastered that sort of love, but every time I see her she reminds me I need to work on this. You can find her at our local library, reading to children or gently presiding over a poetry group.

Enduring peace. Those are the words that come to mind. My cat gets it. I feel and hope I come close when I see peace in the things I make. I hope those who purchase them feel that peace too, and that it spreads. Something new in this live of thought… The Peace Cat.

Thank you, Ellen.