Friday, September 20, 2024

"May Peace Prevail on Earth"

Today, the Greater Lansing United Nations Association (GLUNA) planted a Peace Pole on the MSU campus. I'd been invited to speak as one of the 12 language representatives (repping Hindi), so I moved my standing Friday appointments and showed up.

It was a beautiful day, and the pole was unveiled by GLUNA's youngest member and its oldest (coincidentally, it was their 101st birthday today!). 

The earnestness of it all--the young people embarking on a life devoted to peace, the old people so committed to peace... the people ranged in their hijabs and taqiyahs and kippahs and dashiki and kente and Anishinaabe regalia (I carried my mom's Kashmiri shawl) were so moving. People are amazing and beautiful. We are all miracles. We all deserve peace. 

After I spoke, I was in tears. I stepped offstage to find CD (A book club friend who was there) so she could fold me in a hug. 

Pic: There should be an official press release (with me in it too) out sometime (I know my mom is waiting to see it). But this is a cropped image from a hurried photo I took. The specks at the top are leaves falling like confetti. 

13 comments:

Nance said...

This is the important thing to remember always: people are not the caricatures you see on social media and in the curated stories on the news. Most people are working toward Good Things. We do all deserve Peace and the Kindness Of Others.

I'm so glad you had such a moving and enlightening experience. Beautiful.

Gillian said...

Congrats

maya said...

I think of what you said long ago about making a difference in the spheres we occupy, Nance. SO true.

maya said...

Thank you, Gillian!

maya said...

J--It seems so simple. I don't know a single person who doesn't want peace, and yet...

I love Sade so much (even more now since I heard she is supporting her trans child with a whole album!) and this song is beautiful. Off to listen! Thank you.

Nicole said...

Oh wow, what Nance said will stay with me a long time. That's beautiful.

Jenny said...

Peace on Earth! This is beautiful.

maya said...

Truly! I will remember it too!

maya said...

I think it covers everything, actually...

StephLove said...

I haven't seen a peach pole in a long time. I wonder if they are more common in the midwest. (I seem to remember seeing them when we lived in Iowa and traveled to neighboring states.)

Mom of Children said...

Peace, peace, peace... Peace to me, peace to you, peace to all.

maya said...

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a midwestern thing... I'd never even heard of them until a few years back!

maya said...

May this come true, Daria!

going on 17

Nu turns 17 tomorrow and they have plans with friends, so we had our family celebration today with pizza, cake, and presents. Nu rarely want...