Just a Thought
Those who know me well know that I am not very religious, rather more spiritual. I am proud to say that I was raised Quaker and that it helped shape who I became as an adult. But the older I became the more I felt a disconnect with the rigidness of organized religion and drawn to the open acceptance of other spiritual practices.
Last week as I watched the Interfaith Prayer Service for the Boston Marathon bombing victims I was eager to see how the different clergy members would respond to the tragedy. Much to my surprise, they all echoed the same exact sentiments - that the human spirit is resilient, strong, and built to love. They also emphasized how we pull together and unify in tragic times like these. It really got me thinking: when you remove all of the 'hot button' issues that divide us, we are all more alike than we are different.
The more I thought about that 'Aha! moment' the more I realized that it's whether we choose to focus on our differences or our similarities that will either continue to divide us or bring us closer together. I myself have been guilty of focusing on differences and am going to be much more conscious to focus on our similarities moving forward. I also think that one 'bad apple' does not spoil the bunch and that an entire religion cannot be judged by said apple (Islam is just one example.)
The beautiful thing about this country is that we have the freedom to choose what we want to believe in and to believe in whatever uplifts our spirits and brings peace to our hearts. Who is to say how someone else should live their lives and that what works for you should work for everyone else? To each their own I believe. I know that not everyone will agree with me, and that's okay. This is just my personal point of view and small attempt to spread peace... must be the Quaker in me.
Quick Health Update:
Overall things have been going very well since my last post and I have been feeling better. I had to stop one of my oral antibiotics early because it aggravated my pancreatitis. I haven't had any issues with my pancreas for over six months now and I've taken this antibiotic many times before without any issues, so it caught me a little off guard. Since stopping the med the pain has decreased but not disappeared, so now I'm trying to control it with my diet. I finished the other two antibiotics last Friday, and for the past week I have had some mild (yet increasing) bleeding in my lungs. As of today it seems like it's getting better so I'm not going to make any moves just yet.
I am going to end this blog with my favorite part of both Quaker and Catholic services: Peace be with you.
Last week as I watched the Interfaith Prayer Service for the Boston Marathon bombing victims I was eager to see how the different clergy members would respond to the tragedy. Much to my surprise, they all echoed the same exact sentiments - that the human spirit is resilient, strong, and built to love. They also emphasized how we pull together and unify in tragic times like these. It really got me thinking: when you remove all of the 'hot button' issues that divide us, we are all more alike than we are different.
The more I thought about that 'Aha! moment' the more I realized that it's whether we choose to focus on our differences or our similarities that will either continue to divide us or bring us closer together. I myself have been guilty of focusing on differences and am going to be much more conscious to focus on our similarities moving forward. I also think that one 'bad apple' does not spoil the bunch and that an entire religion cannot be judged by said apple (Islam is just one example.)
The beautiful thing about this country is that we have the freedom to choose what we want to believe in and to believe in whatever uplifts our spirits and brings peace to our hearts. Who is to say how someone else should live their lives and that what works for you should work for everyone else? To each their own I believe. I know that not everyone will agree with me, and that's okay. This is just my personal point of view and small attempt to spread peace... must be the Quaker in me.
Quick Health Update:
Overall things have been going very well since my last post and I have been feeling better. I had to stop one of my oral antibiotics early because it aggravated my pancreatitis. I haven't had any issues with my pancreas for over six months now and I've taken this antibiotic many times before without any issues, so it caught me a little off guard. Since stopping the med the pain has decreased but not disappeared, so now I'm trying to control it with my diet. I finished the other two antibiotics last Friday, and for the past week I have had some mild (yet increasing) bleeding in my lungs. As of today it seems like it's getting better so I'm not going to make any moves just yet.
I am going to end this blog with my favorite part of both Quaker and Catholic services: Peace be with you.
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