Be the Cause – Page 37 – Make a Difference

International Forgiveness Day!!!

This last July, Cindy and Sonali—BTC Volunteers put together an International “Be the Cause” Forgiveness Day….and let me just say…it was a special special eve! The gathering was held at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, CA. When I came up to the circle of people who were at this event, I was touched by the posters that people made–illustrations of compassion, love, hugs, forgiveness.

What is forgiveness? Some quotes that I saw online may describe this word called forgiveness that sometimes baffles all of us…I admit, I don’t even know sometimes when something upsets me until it does and sometimes it is hard to let go of hurt, but I always feel all the better for it…no matter if I don’t feel forgiven or whatever wrong I feel has been done to me. Sometimes as stated at this amazing evening of sharing…the hardest one to forgive is oneself. Back to the quotes…here are some that I resonated with:

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.-Plato

When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.-Catherine Ponder

To err is human; to forgive, divine.-Alexander Pope

If I cannot forgive myself for all the blunders
That I have made over the years,
Then how can I proceed?
How can I ever dream perfection-dreams?
Move, I must, forward.
Fly, I must, upward.
Dive, I must, inward,
To be once more
What I truly am
And shall forever remain.

– Sri Chinmoy

“Some tension is necessary for the soul to grow, and we can put that tension to good use. We can look for every opportunity to give and receive love, to appreciate nature, to heal our wounds and the wounds of others, to forgive, and to serve.” -Joan Borysenko

There are a million and one quotes about forgiveness in the world and if we all shared our own thoughts…there would be ten million more :)

When we all gathered as a group, we read outloud some stories…where people have forgiven impossible situations and people…this struck me very deeply…and has made me feel the silliness of some petty arguments or discord. You can forgive from afar…even if the person isn’t in your life currently. You can forgive someone who has passed on, a family member, a significant other, a coworker, someone who has taken advantage of you spiritually, physically or emotionally. Forgiveness isn’t easy, but it’s the best choice to make. Mostly because it will save your own heart…I can’t say your heart won’t break…or that you won’t feel the pain. You probably will. But you will get through it! I believe in all of us and the joy we can all create for true peace in this world…

2008 Walk for Hope Activity Stations

Posted on 8/28/2008

The Walk for Hope is a reflective journey that leads the walker along a tree-lined path decorated with lovingly created handmade quotes, all selected with great care for their insight and inspiration. In addition to these beautiful quotes, there are several activity stations along the way to give each walker the opportunity to pause, interact, reflect and sow seeds of change and growth. Here is a brief description of each activity station:

Activity Station #1: Our Vision of the World

Imagine, what do we want our world to look like? Let’s draw it! Markers, crayons, pencils and paint will be available for us to collectively draw our unique vision for the world. Is it world peace? Unity? Diversity? Green power? As walkers encounter this activity they will see what those who came before them have created and build upon this vision. The finished masterpiece will be presented at the main stage at the closing of the Walk for Hope.

Activity Station #2: Tree of Forgiveness

Each new day is an opportunity for us to be the change we wish to see in the world. With this in mind, when you enter this activity station, you will be given a paper leaf (or leaves) to write a personal message(s) of forgiveness. Whether it is an expression of forgiveness toward a world leader, someone in your community, a family member, a friend, or yourself, the messages we create will cause us to ponder upon and plant the seeds of change deep within our hearts. By the conclusion of the Walk for Hope, this amazing Tree will have been magically transformed with hundreds of colorful leaves of forgiveness, each with its own inspiring message to be shared by all whom participate.

Activity Station #3: Garden of Kindness

This activity was inspired by the Walk for Hope poster, which depicts a walker moving forward in her journey through life, unaware that her actions have left a feeling of kindness blooming in the hearts of all whom she has encountered. With this in mind, on the last mile of the walk, each participant will enter into the Garden of Kindness and pick a beautiful, handmade daisy to take as a remembrance of their experience … turn the daisy over to reveal a Random Act of Kindness to be performed at your leisure. To continue spreading joy and beauty in the world, you will then create and plant an act of kindness flower for the next walker.

Although we may never fully know how our own lives and the lives of many others on our path of service may be touched by the things we do … keep doing … keep walking … keep serving!!

Additional Activities:

– Path of Silence: A brief stretch of the 5K walk route will be dedicated to walking and reflecting in silence.

– Free Hugs: Yes, enthusiastic Walk for Hope volunteers will be awaiting walkers at the finish line with arms wide open!

– Live Art: Artists are scheduled to demonstrate live painting throughout the day.