The Sun

Right after the wreck in 2005, an aquaintance came by with some dried flowers she put in one of my vases and placed it on top of the tall bookcase across the room from my bed so I could see them from the bed.  She also brought a stack of magazines that I read off and on throughout my recovery.  Bless her!  The magazines were called, The Sun.  They have no ads and the stories and poems seem to be mostly written by people you never heard of and/or they're written by readers.  I don't even love the Oprah magazine as much as I love The Sun. 

It must just be my kind of magazine because I just love every single story and poem and photo in it.  This month the lead story was an interview with a guy who graduated from West Point and served in the Armed Services.  He has made a study - beginning with some ideas he got from classes at West Point - of peace and what it would take to have world peace.  Ahhh!  A grandiose thinker like me!  He has made it his life work to teach what he's learned to anyone who will listen and his audiences are growing.  He says that the United States is seen as a conqueror - as a country that only gets involved when we want something - which just perpetuates resistance.  He asks that we consider what would happen if we truly came to help and left when we were finished.  He suggests we work against terrorism like we have done with organized crime - catch people, try them and put them in jail for a long time.  Cut off their money supplies, etc. 

Another story was written by a guy who had just had his beloved dog put to sleep.  He told about the process he went through in dealing with the last illness and how he finally made the decision to let his dog go.  It was a touching story, of course, but more than that it was a study of love and gratitude.  He said he knew that people were probably thinking, "It's just a dog, for God's sake!"  His philosophy was that this animal had accompanied him through a divorce, depression, spiritual deserts and a life-threatening illness so he felt accountable for returning love and care to the being that provided it for him.  I know there are a lot of people who don't think animals should be valued as much as human beings, but I'm guessing they've just never experienced the unconditional love of an animal companion.