IT’S THANKSGIVING; CAN WE FIND PEACE?

#Thanksgiving #WarInGaza #Israel #Palestine #grievances #forgiveness
The war in Gaza is a flare-up of old grievances.
The country now called Israel was once called Palestine. Jews from around the world needed a safe place to escape persecution.
So, in 1948, after World War II ended, after enduring the Holocaust, Jews set up their “Promised Land” that the Bible described. That turned out to be what was then Palestine.
From then on, both Palestinians and Israelis recognize what is now Israel as their land.
Such a decades long dispute can create hard-liners on both sides – even terrorists.
This latest war started from a terrorist attack on Israelis October 7, 2023, by the Arab group known as Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip. Many Israelis were killed, and many Israelis and other foreign nationals have been taken hostage.
Understandably, Israelis want to eliminate the threat of Hamas for good. To do so, they have killed many innocent Palestinians living in Gaza. They have also rendered much of Gaza unlivable by cutting essentials, thereby displacing millions of people.
It has also given rise to demonstrations throughout the world. Some demonstrators are pro-Israeli, others pro-Palestinian. Some have included people with long simmering bigotries, who may or may not even care about the war.
So, the lessons for this Thanksgiving may be to live and let live. Elvis Presley once sang that he wanted a little less conversation and a little more action. This year, we should all hope for a lot more conversation, and a lot less fighting.
Perhaps we should also wish for a lot less bigotry — or, better yet, none at all – and a lot more friendship and forgiveness.
Some things are hard to forgive, and impossible to forget. However, almost everyone agrees that physical fighting accomplishes very little. It may make one feel better for a moment, but it rarely leads to permanent peace.
It’s impossible to put oneself in another’s shoes, even for a moment. Instead, we should find ways to peacefully coexist in a world that, despite our disputes and grievances, keeps everyone safe, healthy and prosperous.
Too much to ask, you say? Perhaps. But, we as individuals, can do our part to lessen tension with our associates, friends or family, with whom we have an issue.
If we can curb revengeful instincts, that would be a start.
So, this year, give thanks for all that is good in your life. Wish the best for all who are undergoing challenges. Don’t inflame. Instead, be the flame that shows the way to peace.
Old grievances die hard. May they, instead, be tamped down. That may be the first and best way to find peace.
Peter

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Today is a day to focus on what is good in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving!
No matter your circumstances, there is much good for which to be thankful. Today, we should think about what we have, not what we don’t have.
Particularly in the last decade, we’ve read about, and heard about, a lot of bad things. Many of us have been personally affected by those things. It’s the media’s job to discuss what divides us. It is our job to focus on what unites us.
In the last few years, we saw housing prices plummet. We saw many lose their homes. Though a good many of us have not yet recovered from that, statistics are showing a rise in home prices and home construction. Home sales may be leveling off a bit, but the recent trend has been positive.
That many be of little comfort to those still struggling. But no matter your circumstances, you likely have much for which to be thankful.
If you enjoy a good, special meal today, remember that many others may not. If you are enjoying that meal with others, remember that many others may be alone.
Yes, today, Nov. 28, 2013, is a day to focus on what is good in your life. It’s a day to focus on what you have, not what you don’t have.
It is also a day to think about what YOU are going to do about the circumstantial breakdowns in your life. Those breakdowns may have been beyond your control, but how you repair them is entirely in your control. You have to plan what will come next in your life, then do it.
Your next step may be outside your comfort zone. That’s OK. Do it anyway. Do it afraid, if you must.
If you are looking for a tool that may help you repair any circumstantial breakdowns, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau. You may look at this tool with some fear, but if your circumstances need fixing, fix them afraid.
Today we focus on what we have — and can have — not what we don’t have. Today, no matter our circumstances, we have much good in our lives.
Be grateful for those, and confident you can fix the circumstances that need repair.
Be grateful, optimistic and fix them afraid.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Peter