I could have gone... of course I could have. I could have bought a plane ticket or hopped in my car and driven the ten or so hours to my brother's home to see the Buddhist monks and Aloka the Peace Dog on their amazing Peace Walk from Fort Worth Texas to Washington, DC. And I wanted so very much to see them! But as I explained to Chris - acting out the insanity of such a trip at this wintry time of year - the effort required to make it all happen seemed like the opposite of all that is peace, all that the monks are walking for.
Yes, meeting them would have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In account after account people talk of how life-changing it has been to just be in the presence of Aloka and the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara.
Every morning I checked on their progress, watching them walk, quite quickly, across the country on the little map created for this purpose, and every morning the quiet beauty of their words and simple actions brought me to tears. I blink them away every time I see Aloka. Why? It's the power of their consistent actions; beautifully simple, yet so profound. And their pure intentions, so sincere.
These precious monks want peace for everyone. Every family. And their message is so simple! No one can bring peace and happiness to our lives except us. We have to put down our phones and be present. A simple place to start is to pick up a pen and paper every day and write, "Today is going to be my peaceful day."
As you know, I've been reading spiritual books and blogging about them here, but this Walk for Peace has taught me more than everything I've read. Chris put it best. "They are giving us hope." And I am so grateful.
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