Meri's Musings

May all beings have fresh clean water to drink. May all beings have physical and spiritual nourishment. May all beings have a home and sanctuary. May all beings share love with someone. May all beings know their true purpose. May all beings be well and happy. May all beings be free from suffering. Today I will do what I can to  bring this intention to reality.

We have been reminded too viscerally of the existence of evil, of the corrosive effects of anger and hatred. There are unfortunate pockets of darkness where compassion, joy, and goodwill cannot seem to reach. All we can do is shine our light, radiate love like a beacon in that darkness. Be the change needed in the world. Say the Metta. Be the  Metta . To do otherwise seems unthinkable. Do it for the children. The ones lost to senseless violence everywhere. The victims of ethnic, political, and religious conflict. The sex trade slaves. The ones without hope. Let your light shine ceaselessly. Love, Meri

On this day in 1980, John Lennon was murdered. Assassinated by a deranged fan outside The Dakota, where Lennon lived with wife and muse Yoko Ono and had been a stay-at-home dad  for their young son Sean. I remember waking up to the news and feeling stunned.  Horrified.  I felt stricken,  knowing that all however-unlikely hope  for a Beatles reunion was now moot. It angered me that such senseless acts of violence existed and that this cultural icon's life ended in such a gruesome and tragic way.  It felt so personal. The assassin had ripped a hole in the fabric of my life, tore the threads of melody that sang stories of loves found and loves lost, tales of youthful fascination with things counter to the dominant culture, taking a stance against war and discrimination, in favor of peace and justice. When the Beatles first invaded American shores, John wasn't my favorite Beatle. I'll freely admit to being into ...