And let it begin with me
As you are aware, I’m certain, the country I live in is in crisis. That statement is in no way descriptive of the horrors that are upon us during this, the second term of Donald Trump as President of the United States. This is a period that will go down in the annals of history as a time of deep dis0rder, of fear, chaos, and discord. Despite this opening paragraph, this is not a piece about politics or about the general political climate in the world due to the narcissism and decaying brain of the man in charge. (If I’ve already offended you, there are other gentler writings on this blog… you might try one of those or just hang with me here, it gets better.) No, this is a piece about peace. I’m hoping to make my point with a couple of leaps here.
I am, at heart, an empath and an activist. It is difficult for me to witness injustice of any kind and not want to enter the fray to do something, say something, make a difference somehow. I feel the pain of the people of my country. I feel the fear. I feel the discontent, and most of all, I feel the anger. The anger is where I’ve been sitting for many months (years?) now and I find it is a lot to hold. So, how exactly does one feel it all, but not drown in the emotion? This is what is on my mind.
So, no, this bit of writing is not a political rant, but it is a searching for how to find balance.
Social media as well as mainstream media is currently replete with stories of the group of monks who are walking for peace. Demonstrating this desire for balance in a news cycle of horror, these stories and videos capture the walk of around two dozen Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas. They set out on October 26, 2025, and intend to cover 2300 miles in their “Walk for Peace” ultimately arriving in Washington, D.C. in mid-February 2026.
The monks of the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center walking single file along the side of the road on their Walk for Peace
Their walk has garnered a lot of attention, perhaps because of the daily posted stories and videos on social media, but because this is not a *publicity stunt on the part of the monks, I believe there is something deeper at play here. I feel it calls to those who are desperate to be near a bit of that peace they walk for. People gather to pray at the side of the road as the monks pass, to offer gifts, to receive blessings or gifts from the monks, or to walk behind them in crowds of support. They are looking to find the same thing I believe we all are: hope and peace. The monks tell us they are walking to promote national healing, unity, compassion, and mindfulness, aiming to awaken inner peace in people amidst the division. This isn’t a protest, but it is a spiritual practice and moving meditation.
This is prayer in motion.
The monks walking along the road with a woman kneeling and praying as they pass
I am not a monk, nor could I sustain walking for 190-days across the country, so where do I touch this peace that is so desperately needed in this very chaotic time? Where do you find peace and balance?
This is my internal wondering as I seek my own balance.
When I was a very young girl, I learned a song written in 1955 by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson. It must have had some staying power in the popular music world, because I’m relatively sure I was introduced to it in the late 60s or maybe even the early 70s. It’s been recorded many, many times in the years since its writing, and I’m somewhat confident it’s published in a hymnal or two around the nation. For me, it’s been an earworm most of my life. It just pops in and sings itself through on a relatively regular basis. As earworms go, this isn’t such a bad one.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be
**With God as our Father, brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony
Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me
Quite a missive, is it not?
Let it begin with me. That’s what I can actually control. Take each this moment. This moment. This moment. This moment. Breathe. Notice. Breathe again. There’s peace. Just this moment. Peace.
Inhale. Exhale. Only this moment, that’s where I am. This moment breathing. This moment in peace.
And do that again in as many moments as I (and you) possibly can.
With every step we take, even if they are not monumental or a 2300 mile stretch of roadside. Every step is a chance to breathe, a chance to be in this moment, a chance to be our own prayer in motion.
I realize there’s only so much I can do as a single entity to alter the calamitous path of our country. I’ve recently realized I can stay buried in the anger or I can find my balance. I can breathe, be in the moment, find peace, and ***call my representatives.
Let it spark a revolution. And let it begin with me.
* When monks leave their monasteries to walk for peace, it is not symbolic, it is a warning. They do not seek attention. They do not ask for power. They walk only when the world is out of balance.
**While this line leans toward a Christian view, I like to reword it thusly: “With spirit watching over, reminding us we are one, let us see one another as if we all belong” You may pick you own adventure here.
***Or write letters or postcards, or join a peaceful protest, or look in on my neighbors and be of service. There are so many ways to be part of the revolution.
