Hope, Bill Gates, David Suzuki, and Sounds of Silence
Good Morning from Prince Edward Island,
It has been quite a week in the world, and I hope this finds you and yours well.
As much as I tried today, it is hard not to write about what is going on. It is overwhelming to try and read it all that is being written or spoken.
Many paywall journalistic sites have created free access to their Covid 19 reporting. If you haven't had enough and want more, here are three I pay attention to:
MIT Technology Review, Coronavirus News
NYTimes The Coronavirus Outbreak
The Scientist, Vaccine News, Articles
This blog, I would like to focus on something else.
HOPE.
Earlier this week, my family and I went for a drive and a change of scenery. We wanted to make sure everything was ok with The Respite Cottage. I captured this photo from the cottage deck, and it got me thinking.
Beneath the cover of snow is life. Resting plants, little seeds all waiting for their fill of nurturing sunshine.
In nature and life, seasons come and go. The sun comes up, and the sun goes down every day.
Here is a photo of the sunrise from an early morning walk earlier this week at Rustico Harbour.
Here is a photo of sunset; I captured it with my phone camera a couple of days ago while overlooking the Gardens of Hope and River Clyde.
Corinthians 13:13 is read many times during wedding ceremonies. It shares that there are three gifts common for all: faith, hope, and love, but that the greatest of these is love.
Hope speaks of tomorrow. Faith speaks of the now and love is the light needed to make everything/everyone to grow and be healthy.
Rather than be anxious and spinning mental wheels about tomorrow, reach out and speak into the hearts of those who make your love list today. Plant some seeds of hope.
Some have no idea of what real hope is. We are too busy chasing the end of rainbows. Opposite ends being tomorrow's "success" or ruminating on yesterday's failures. I celebrate Easter.
"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." ~ Abraham Lincoln
My hope is for your good health. My hope is for your friends and family to be safe, and hope for your security.
People filled with hope are happy, optimistic and full of courage. Hope is the cousin of faith. Having hope & faith makes for better living than anxiety and worry.
Don't feed the anxiety.
Instead, list all that you are grateful for. I have made this an early morning habit. And again, I make a shortlist of the good that came out of the day before lights out. I try and sleep on the positive. My habits are to write it on DayOne. I have attempted to on paper, but I can't seem to do it consistently.
"If you are proactive, you don't have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own." ~ Stephen R. Covey
This morning, I read an opinion by David Suzuki. He is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. This may be an opportunity to transform the way we live.
I also read fantastic stories this past week of Prince Edward Island school teachers showing beautiful acts of solidarity with their students. Rhonda Godfrey, an Eliot River Elementary School teacher, makes 24 snowmen to show class she misses them. Story here.
Here is an informative interview with Bill Gates from earlier this week. How we must deal with the coronavirus, thank you TED Talks. Great minds are working on this.
While at home, I am trying to:
- Rest and restore my energy
- Eat simple and healthy foods. (with fewer sweets, not going well LOL)
- Listen to soothing music.
- Drink lots of water and tea.
- Spend daily spiritual time reading material that comforts and nurtures me.
As I write this, I am thinking of YOU. And my thoughts and prayers are with YOU.
While outside, we are to keep our social distance, but on the inside, we can be very close. We don't have to distance ourselves at all. We can stay close and loving.
Let's pray for a pandemic-free, panic-free world. I have hope for that, and faith that will come to pass, and our world will not be the same. I desire to see more empathy, peace and understanding, and of course, love.
Today, I have been listening to Yo-Yo Ma Cello Suiten No. 1,5 & 6
With love from Prince Edward Island,
Bruce & Millie
(she got tired of me saying, just two more minutes while writing this blog)
ps. For something a little fun, a friend, Andy McCann, has put some Irish humour to the Sounds of Silence.
Comments
Mary Mosher said:
This is a post from Jann Arden that I thought you would enjoy reading and maybe want to share. Stay safe.
Jann Arden
Yesterday at 11:03 AM ·
If you’ve ever really wondered what kind of person you are, this precarious time in history will help to carve out the basics. It is indeed a reckoning, all this. You’ll be getting a clearer picture of your character and what you need to keep and discard. I know I am.
There is an eerie calm that has settled in out here, a lonely quiet that forces me to think about being a human being and what it actually means to be one. I am minding it less- the unknown things, fighting them less often. I’m not counting hours or calculating ‘how long’ this will take. I’m simply letting myself be where I am. I hear my mother say “Well, what can you do?”
I get up and make my bed. I put on clean, comfortable clothes and then I wash my face and slather on creme. I stand and look at myself in the mirror and flick the doubts off of my shoulders.
I put on the kettle and select a bag of tea.
I rummage around for the perfect spoon. I have so many different ones from my mother and grandmother. It makes me feel better to simply use one of their spoons.
Such a small thing is so giant to me right now.
I gaze out the kitchen window into the yard that is covered in trackless snow.
I feel like I’m waiting for someone.
Maybe it’s me. I’m waiting for me to show up.
I light a fire and it’s like an elixir. The sound of the wood crackling is mesmerizing. I don’t have to pack a bag and race around and close the house up for a long trip ahead.
I can be where I am.
I suppose I could conjure up the voices of worry in my head. But I’m not going to.
Worry is a liar.
This little shard of history will fold over itself.
It’s going to take some time. It will require patience and more than anything else, an enormous amount of kindness.
Treat other people kindly.
Take only what you need.
Share what you have.
Encourage others whenever you can.
Be positive even when you’re not sure.
Be determined.
Be steadfast.
Be careful.
Smile when you pass a stranger on the street.
We are not each other’s enemy, we are each other’s salvation.
There is no life without a community of souls.
We imperfect souls blazing through the universe in search of true love. A true love of ALL living things.
Let us protect what we have left when this lifts.
Let’s not go back.
We have it in us to be so much more.
BECOME THE PERSON YOU WERE MEANT TO BE.
April 05, 2020
Grace Haslam said:
Great post !
Went for a Sunday drive yesterday and parked by the railing overlooking
the River Clyde….song “Rock me Mamma like a wagon wheel” came to mind. 😉
That is a wonderful wagon wheel fence and doesn’t have to compete with all the lush flowers and shrubs at this time of year.
Keep safe and be well.
I look forward to the next post !
March 30, 2020
Mikel and Kay Stevenson said:
“What the world needs now…” is Bruce’s Blog. Thanks for this uplifting, positive Saturday morning blog, Bruce. Deeply valued and appreciated, as it is every Saturday.
Let’s all send it to as many people as we can.
March 30, 2020
Heather McGrath said:
Wonderful and inspiring blog, Bruce. The pandemic has shown us (the world) what we can live with and without; how slowing down can make us more appreciative and grateful; how little time it takes for our environment to begin to heal. Going forward, post-pandemic, I’m looking towards a world with more gratitude and less greed, for mankind and our universe.
March 30, 2020
Jim & Robyn Johnston said:
Bruce…..your blogs are always interesting and appreciated. Thank you. Wishing you and your family good health.
March 29, 2020
Evelyn, So. Calif. USA said:
Your blog was one of your best so far – full of hope, optimism, and special nuggets of sources of inspiration…and information. Plan to return to reread it later in the day…thank you!!
March 29, 2020
Linda Jessen said:
Thank you for your inspiring comments. Today I am grateful that The Preserve ships! I fell in love with your products while visiting PEI and am thrilled that I am able to have them shipped to my door in Florida. Peace, health, and hope to all of you!
March 29, 2020
Althea K. said:
Chinese proverb: It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness. Your blog brings Light.
Thanks to your friend Andy for his delightful kick-in-the-pants at C-virus. Watching it I was not only laughing but also remembering something that may be of interest to him. I was taping a scene for an audition. When we looked at it, I said I’m getting seasick because I saw I was moving from side to side. The two others in the studio had not noticed this happening either. Not criticism. In fact please tell Andy thank you for an extra Laughter fillip to his parody.
And Love is everywhere – in unexpected kindnesses, smiles, offers of help, and caring from my doctor.
Stay well. Be well. Be peace. Be love. Just as Millie knows and shows.
March 29, 2020
Heather Johnson said:
Beautiful food for the soul! Thank you ! As a pastors in the city of Calgary we are finding imagination on how to serve our congregation with social distancing . The church has left the building , but God has not left the church ! Thank you for reminding us of His resurrection power to make all things new again . How beautifully you described faith, hope & love ! Blessing to you , your family & the preserve co.!
Heather
March 29, 2020
Kathy Gorman said:
Hope for a new fresh start. a different way of life, a cure for this virus, and a vaccine for it. Faith that we will all get through this and come back stonger than ever. Love for all fellow man regardless of race, color, or religion. Thanks for your inspirational blogs!
March 29, 2020
Elaine Erhart said:
In times like these we are so thankful for “the peace that passes understanding” and we can focus on those things that no virus can take away. The virus has a new face and name in my world as my brother has it and has been in the battle for his life this week. This week has been filled with prayer, trust, hope and a renewed sense of just how precious the gift of life is to each of us. As each of us walk this uncertain road never forget that God is still God and ours is to remain faithful. Additionally, we can still be there for each other even in “social distancing”. We just have to think more creatively and act more quickly.
March 29, 2020
Valarie LaBore said:
Beautiful thoughts, Bruce. I was heartened to hear today that 98% of those contracting the virus have survived. I wish the news would share that more often than the gloom and doom of how many have contracted it, or died. There is hope. Always.
Val
March 28, 2020
Paula Mueda said:
Thanks so much for this outstanding blog, Bruce. It is SO encouraging and hopeful to me to learn that the Gates Foundation is involved with working on solutions to the Corona virus. Enjoyed the humor interjected by Andy McCann and his “Sounds of Silence” parody song! Last of all, I loved the photo of Millie patiently waiting for you to finish your writing!
March 28, 2020
Kathy Dickson said:
Very interesting, tks Bruce!
March 28, 2020
Pat said:
Bruce and Millie
Another wonderful Saturday morning blog. Beautiful sunrise and sunset pictures. I didn’t realize the island has snow.
Thank you for sharing the Bill Gates video.
I’m in Ohio and we are in the “Stay At Home” stage of this virus.
Praying for all
Pat
March 28, 2020
Annie said:
This was manna for my heart today. Thank you so very much.
March 28, 2020
Anne Gillis said:
Thank-you for your writings and postings. It is actually one of the few that I have read these past few days. I too like ‘Worry is a misuse of the imagination’. It is also often a total waste of energy. Beautiful day and lovely photos.
March 28, 2020
Joyce Simpson said:
Another great post, Bruce.
Love the young man’s version of “Sound of Silence”
Stay well.
March 28, 2020
Pat Cossaboom-Jones said:
Each Saturday morning I thank you silently today I thought I would write it “outloud”. Your posts are an inspiration to so many people-the quotes are heartwarming. Thanks so much for sharing with all of us. We can feel the love and that is so very important all the time but, maybe, a bit more so now.
March 28, 2020
Michele Sparling said:
Thank you Bruce (and Millie) for another inspiring and reflective Saturday morning read with my coffee. Your blogs are a wonderful breath of fresh air, and this one reminded me of the quote, “Hope springs eternal” by Alexander Pope
Be safe. Be well.
March 28, 2020
Peter Kerr said:
I send my love to you and all my dear friends on the Island. I came really close to a visit but everything shut down while I was visiting family in Nova Scotia. Sadly, I had to motor right on by the PEI turnoff on the Trans Canada. Spring will come, this trial will end, and I can’t wait for my first visit to the Preserve Co. There is always a gem – or several – in your blogs and Mary and I love this one: “Worry is a misuse of the imagination.” Many thanks for that and we hope to see you ere long.
March 28, 2020