A letter to Cindy Sheehan

Dear Cindy,

I read your good-bye letter yesterday. First I want to say that I am truly sorry for your loss. Mine is not a military family, but my oldest son (of four boys) will turn 18 soon, and I am loathe to think what this government may demand of him and his brothers in the future.

I want to express my admiration for your willingness to have taken up the cause for peace for as long as you did, something so many of us are not willing to find the time, or the guts, to do. I am sorry for the bitterness and feeling of failure that you experienced as a result of the politics and egos of those who wanted to exploit your message for their own purposes. The bearers of the standard of peace, historically, have been met with resistance and outrage from the masses.. even by those who claim to want the same thing. And typically, their lives did not end without violence. Be thankful you made it out alive. But know, too, that the ripples of what you've created.. the individuals that you've touched and inspired, may not be so obvious and evident as your detractors, but may prove to be more powerful than any of the results you were looking for from our political process.

The thing is, peace cannnot be achieved through fighting. I'm not even sure one can die for it. It's an individual matter, attained only through the recognition that there is no Other. What we do to our brother (sister), we do to ourselves. (and what we do to ourselves affects us all). A deceptively simple lesson... but the truth is, like you said, it is up to us. There is no military strategy, no political party, no activist group, mandate or law that can bring peace. It can only come from within.. a way of being in the world, and manifesting through our interactions with every individual (and I do mean EVERY individual... no exceptions!)

So, Cindy, thank you again. And now, please go home. Take care of your children, take care of yourself. Reconnect with your life, your source of strength and your love. Those of us who truly desire a peaceful world don't demand sacrifice. But every ray of light shining in this world is needed, and helps all of us to acheive the goal of peace.

With love,
o.h.