Tag: mental health

Emotional Wellness Takes Dignity

October is National Emotional Wellness Month, a grassroots effort since 2004, with a focus on everyday personal “balance.” Just about everyone could use some stress reduction prior to the contentious national midterm elections coming soon. Goals for the month include “processing feelings constructively.” Have politicians been informed?

UC Berkeley professor emerita Arlie Russell Hochschild carried out 7 years of ethnographic research on Pikeville, Kentucky, where the American Dream escapes most residents. The Fifth Congressional District of Kentucky — described as the “whitest and second poorest congressional district in the nation” — suffers incredible economic distress from job losses in the declining coal industry, with ongoing poverty and substance abuse as unresolved issues. In 2016 nearly 80% of voters chose Donald Trump. In 2017 a caravan of white supremacists rolled through town, looking to recruit members.

In her book, Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right, sociologist Hochschild explains that Appalachian workers who experienced economic disaster tended to blame themselves rather than the “system.” Hochschild’s approach was simply to listen to those whose life stories infrequently make the evening news. She held compassion as participants shared complicated circumstances, feeling deprived of dignity, during extensive interviews. The painful sentiment of one individual asking, “If you’re white and poor…what’s wrong with you that you’re stuck at the bottom?” was echoed in similar wording repeatedly. Another version of stark economic stress was expressed this way: “If it’s such a privilege to be born a white male, what could explain me except my own personal failure?”

Hochschild explains that the Trump tactic redirected such internal insecurity and shame into external blaming of progressive voters and immigrants. Pretending to be a victim like the impoverished, Trump fueled anguish, viciously lashing out at non-followers; it struck a chord with many.

Co-creator of the Dignity Index, Tami Pyfer tested an 8-point scale in Utah during the 2022 midterm elections. The scale rates the language one uses when disagreeing with others. Levels ONE to FOUR reflect contempt: “Those people are ruining everything. Those people are evil.” Levels FIVE to EIGHT are “dignity” levels of the scale. For example, at level SIX, a person looks at things they have in common with others; at level EIGHT there is ability to see dignity in everyone.

Emotional wellness and dignity could change the U.S. political climate.

Hochschild found voters in Pikeville who worried about climate change. One pro-Trump Republican businessman pointed out a mountain where coal once was king, and told Hochschild, “I’d love to see solar panels and windmills on top of a lot of our mountains here.” Research from Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reports about 63% of Kentucky residents believe global warming is an issue; 70% favor regulating carbon dioxide. Nationwide, a majority of voters agree to curb the climate crisis.

Can we extend our common ground before it is too late?

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

544. How might you discuss climate change with neighbors?

545. What does having “dignity” mean to you?                      

Time for a Personality Lift?

“Active Aging Week” (October 5-11 this year) was initiated by the International Council on Active Aging to promote free wellness activities in organizations for those 50+ with a goal of reaching as many older adults as possible. Suggestions include group walks, group exercise classes such as yoga, and health-related classes like prevention of falling. Sponsors for programming include Humana, Abbot, and LeadingAge, a national advocacy group of 5300 nonprofit service providers serving older adults. “Active aging” includes recognizing that many older adults are active contributors to society.

Ageism Awareness Day (October 9) is sponsored by the American Society on Aging to reinforce a realistic view of aging. For many, there is a bias against rising numbers of older adults. Perhaps Americans are in need of a “personality lift.”

Ageism often misrepresents the facts. Ageism has 3 components:

  • Stereotypes (how we think),
  • Prejudice (how we feel), and
  • Discrimination (how we act) toward others or ourselves, often based on one’s numerical age. 

Psychotherapist and spiritual writer Thomas Moore writes in Ageless Soul, “When people think of keeping their youth as they age, they often think too physically, materially, and literally. They get face-lifts but not personality lifts.”

Yes, youth is prized in American culture. And yes, facelifts are a “thing;” according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons; as many as 230,000 full and partial facelifts happen each year in the U.S., as well as increasing numbers of facial fat grafting and neck lifts.

We need to break ageist, sexist, racist, and gender bias stereotypes in America. There is backlash from younger workers about Social Security payments provided for seasoned citizens (my label). It is not well known how much older adults support our economy and are key caregivers. Nearly 69% of U.S. grandparents (estimated at 65 million) provide some kind of childcare or support for their grandchildren. Approximately 2.07 million grandparents are the mainstay for raising their resident grandchildren. Almost a third of older adults identifying as LGBTQIA+ are providing care to a friend.

The number of people older than 75 in the labor force is estimated to be 10.1% in 2026. Recent AARP data indicate that adults 50+ produce $12.5 trillion in economic activity. However, most white-haired adults are not wealthy. In 2022, nearly 1 in 10 individuals ages 65 and older (approximately 5.9 million) lived below the poverty level. Many grandparent caregivers (60%) are in the workforce to make ends meet. It is a sad truth that the poverty rates are higher for African American, Asian and Hispanic older adults than non-Hispanic white older adults.

Let’s ask ourselves to notice when we are in discrimination territory. Stereotypes are so prevalent today in America that I am afraid we mostly do not notice. Your critical personality part often is a misguided protective attempt. Is your critic operating in overdrive? Personalities need tune-ups more frequently than cars.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

540. When do you catch yourself being ageist/sexist/racist/gender-biased?

541. What are your own needs for a personality lift?                      

Peace Plan: Music 101

“Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.” Sarah Dessen, American novelist of young adult fiction

Music is a soother for many ills. Why not apply it to world peace?

Adam Weingarten is the music director of Boston University’s Hillel, offering the first music program of its kind for any chapter of Hillel International. Weingarten’s goal is to bring students together, Jewish and non-Jewish. His take on college life today is a microcosm of what all of us may be experiencing:“It’s harder for people to connect now…to see what we have in common. Having a common memory, having a night where you had a good time with someone else, that can bond you for life—or at least for the four years you’re here.”

As a youth, Weingarten enjoyed singalongs at Jewish summer camp alongside the music of his favorite band, the Beatles. He created his own band, “Sounds of the Attic,” while combining Judaic studies and audio engineering. His philosophy of music is as simple as it is profound: “…little moments actually make the biggest impact…just like a song has a progression, a beginning, middle, and end, and every part of it is equally important, that’s what I want the kids to feel during their college experience—making their story flow like a perfect piece of music.”

Music is as old as_________. Fill in the blank. Likely the first humans chanted and had choir practice. It is believed that oral storytelling was often embellished through song, especially with rowers at sea or ancient dramas embellished by a Greek chorus.

Ancient Egyptian temple priests were thought to use “vocal toning” (that resonated within stone walls) to align humans with deity. Buddhist monastics chanted Om as a meditative practice. Confucius is considered a promoter of the powers of music and tone. Ancient Greek physicians used musical incantations and vibration accompanied by flutes and lyres to heal the sick; music was believed to purge negativity, improve digestion and sleep, and treat joint issues like gout. In Finland the vocal practice of lament was part of healing grief, loss, and other traumas.

These early intuitives were on the right track. Research in the 1950s-1960s found that patients with religious leanings and an enjoyment of classical music would respond faster in healing from postoperative retinal detachment than those without these characteristics. Science today identifies how music affects the brain’s limbic system and produces changes in neurotransmitters, such as catecholamine, indolamine, dopamine, endorphin, and the latest, neuron growth hormone. During group singing, bonding-hormone oxytocin is released, producing trust and social connection. I experience this, singing with 130+ others in my community’s Peace Choir.

Research bears out Weingarten’s hunches about music’s peaceful power: complete strangers may develop close bonds after singing together for just one hour.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

538. When might you consider music as a healer?

539. How often do you sing with other people? If not, why not?  

Gen X Similarities with Baby Boomers

Carolyn Worthington, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging® Magazine and executive director of Healthy Aging®, is founder of September is National Healthy Aging Month. The annual celebration has the mantra, “it is never too late to reinvent yourself.” I call this “rewiring” your personality and skillset.

Worthington champaigns those 45+ to take charge of physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. As she highlights, U.S. attention is no longer predominantly directed to the Baby Boom generation (born 1946-1964), with 76 million Boomers over age 50 today. Gen X individuals (born 1964-1980), 65 million strong, recently streamed into their 60’s.

Consider each take-charge goal (actually for everyone, not just Gen Xers and Boomers):

  • Physical well-being

As U.S. Gen Xers age, health-related decisions become crucial. According to the Mather Institute Gen Xperience Year 2 Report, stress levels run high – nearly 69% of Gen Xers reported moderate-to-extreme stress in the previous 3 months. A majority (67%) reported “good”-to-“very good” physical health, while 9% reported “excellent” physical health. However, research from Ohio State University indicates that risks for metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and chronic inflammation are higher in Gen Xers compared to Baby Boomers at the same age. Compared to previous generations, Boomers are reported to have 1½ times more cancer, lung disease, heart problems, diabetes and high cholesterol as they reached their 50th–60th decades.

  • Mental well-being

My labeling, Midlife Maze — the squeezed generation caring for children alongside aging parents — is upstream challenged in work-life balance and job security; nearly 60% reported these factors affect well-being. Only 45% of Gen Xers rated their mental health as “very good”-to-“excellent,” compared to 57% of Boomers.  

  • Social well-being

Gen Xers and Boomers report increasing rates of loneliness. An AARP study found 46% of U.S. adults ages 45-59 identifying as lonely. A Cigna Group study found Boomer loneliness rates to be 44-45%. Ben Franklin was 29 when he penned these words: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Let’s prevent social isolation for both groups.

  • Financial well-being

Nearly 40% of Gen-X households have no retirement savings, while 27% of Boomers have zero personal retirement savings. There are misperceptions about who picks up the retirement tab. Without savings, many retirees assume Social Security will bankroll retirement. However, average 2026 S.S. checks for retired employees run about $2,000 monthly with average households headed by an individual 65+ incur monthly expenses of approximately $5000 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey).

Worthington’s advice is to treat September like “back-to-school” season for adults. She proposes asking, “What was your best year so far? 28? 40? Now? Pic­ture your­self at that age and be it. Some…may say this is denial, but…it’s pos­i­tive think­ing and goes a long way toward feel­ing bet­ter about your­self.”

 Tip: Don’t keep swimming in thrashing thoughts about how you look in the mir­ror. Make well-being plans.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

536. How do you rate yourself on these 4 indices of well-being?

537. What steps might you take TODAY to leverage better self-care?    

Procrastination Interruption

Are you tied up in knots by “I would have, I could have, I should have _______” self-talk? How often do you interrupt your progress in meeting a goal with procrastination? If you have ever relied on procrastination’s crutches, you have lots of company. The procrastination part of me lingers too long on some projects. Let’s interrupt our procrastination!

Retired professor and researcher of procrastination at Carleton College in Canada, Timothy Pychyl maintains that poor time management is not the cause of procrastination; rather, the culprit is our emotional regulation. The key reason we avoid doing something is not due to lackadaisical time management, but the task at hand generates some uncomfortable emotion – fear, anxiety, and/or self-doubt.

Research by Pychyl found another procrastination myth — that we work best under pressure. While stress might force you to complete something, it may not result in your best work. You may gain an adrenaline rush and believe that without pressure, it’s difficult to “find” motivation.

Pychyl prefers to call procrastination a choice. For example, we may choose to read some self-help book instead of addressing a distracting emotion. We may learn some information and tell ourselves, “I learned what I need to do!” When we take in some new information in this way, there may be a temporary relief that we are closing in on a solution. Brains love learning. In learning there is a sense of “solving” some concern. Yet, research suggests that this fleeting satisfaction might get in the way of actual motivation to follow up with actions. After all, most of us are elaborate excuse-makers.  

It is good to learn about change! Actual change is the real pearl.

So, what is the procrastination story? Pychyl writes a “Don’t Delay” blog with Psychology Today. He advocates taking small, achievable steps to address both your stress level and deliver a jumpstart to your motivation. In an interview with Eric Zimmer, the creator of “The One You Feed” podcast, Pychyl offered tips from his book, Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change:

  • Present-self explains there is benefit from procrastination. Future-self reaps the results.
  • Ask yourself, “How are you actually going to implement this goal?” Your implementation intention can start the engine of motivation.
  • Leverage a positive habit you already have: “After I brush my teeth, my next morning action is _______________.”
  • We do not do projects; we do actions.
  • Follow this quote by a monk: “You’ve got to give the monkey something to do.” 
  • Most of us seem to believe that one must be in the mood to do something, that motivation proceeds action. However, it’s often the other way around.

Research offers ways to interrupt our procrastination: take action! I would add, be curious; greet your exiled emotions like old friends: “Ah, you always have my back. Let’s take baby steps together!”

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

524. When do you catch yourself procrastinating?

525. What project calls out to you to interrupt procrastination?   

The World Works Better When Equality Works

July is Disability Pride Month, celebrating a key civil rights victory since 1990 when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Boston held the first Disability Pride Day, but the first official celebration of this important milestone happened in July 2015 when marking the 25th anniversary of the ADA. The 2026 theme captures the best of inclusiveness: “The World Works Better With Us.”

As the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Foundation points out, we are all “different” in some way: “Just as wearing glasses is a way to clear blurry vision, using a wheelchair is another way to get around if walking is a challenge. Approaching the concept of disabilities this way keeps the emphasis on ways we are similar, rather than on differences.”

Parents and schools educating children about disabilities is key to changing stereotypes about certain “differences.” Consider English astrophysicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, a genius who espoused “Multiverse” theory, offering a new mathematical framework for astronomers to discover the existence of parallel universes. At age 21 Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) that paralyzed him and confined him to a wheelchair. Losing his capacity for speech, his understanding of general relativity remained intact. Using cheek-muscle control, a computer helped him communicate. Disabilities often require swimming-upstream challenges.

All of us might consider conscious changes in our views of disabilities. Recognize that many institutions do not embrace employees with disabilities; unconscious prejudice is systemic. We must start with simple advocacy for those with disabilities: say that a person has a disability rather than a person is disabled. This connotes that disability or illness is just one aspect of a person, not their total identity. Those with disabilities who are people of color and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community face discrimination on several fronts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 4 Americans (about 70 million adults) have some type of disability with 10% coping with invisible disabilities. You may not recognize that a neighbor or colleague suffers from chronic pain, mental health disorders and/or neurological differences. COVID may have shed some awareness on disabilities initially, but people tend not to dwell on infirmities; it is a reminder of what can “go wrong” at any age.

Barbara J. Howard is American Bar Association President-Elect. In a commencement address for Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, she urged new lawyers to speak out, because “silence is complicity.” She reminded law graduates that lawyers are uniquely qualified, as well as obliged, to uphold the Rule of Law: “Constitutional protections are a reality for all.”  Howard and her associates specialize in family law, including custody and parenting issues. Her firm prioritizes use of collaborative processes.

My version of inclusiveness is this: the world works better when equality works.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

514. When have you advocated for an individual with a disability?

515. What is one change that you might make to foster equality for those with disabilities? 

Personality “Weeds”

My definition of a “weed” is a plant in the wrong place. Ralph Waldo Emerson was more philosophical: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” As I pulled mighty weeds in my side yard with some that had fluff-ball heads getting ready to explode their seed, I wondered where they came from, as no other part of my garden had this pest. Then I peeked through the fence where a host of the rascal plants were blooming undeterred in my neighbor’s yard.

Perhaps the neighbor was a fan of Carey Salerno’s poem, The Weeds (Accidentally on Purpose): “I watched the first weeds burgeon and decided this was the summer /  I wouldn’t stop them, every inch of crabgrass, every foot higher /  the woody stem of nightshade… /   When faced with all that overgrowth, doesn’t some large part of you want to /  watch it manifest more, just a little bit, to see how wild things really /  can get… /  if I can get myself to see it that way, to let myself feel what it’s /  like to let anticipations go, to learn to revel in what might seem more like /  mess but could just be learning….”

Or, perhaps the neighbor had read Jake Eagle’s and Michael Amster’s book, The Power of Awe: Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose – in Less than 1 Minute Per Day, where almost any topic might become awe-inspiring! Mindfulness author Amster finds the practice of tuning into weed awe instructive for teaching resilience to flourish in difficult conditions:

“Weeds are remarkable teachers. They grow in places where nothing else seems able to survive. They push through cracks in sidewalks, emerge from gravel, and thrive in harsh conditions with little water or care. Their resilience is extraordinary…some had delicate purple blossoms. Others displayed geometric patterns more beautiful than many cultivated plants…the only reason we call them ‘weeds’ is because they are growing where we don’t want them. How often do we do the same with people, things, experiences, or parts of ourselves?”

Yes, we do misinterpret “weedy” parts of our personalities on a regular basis. Do you have some part of your personality that seems like “taking-up-too-much space” might apply?

Let’s apply an awe exercise to ourselves: Turn on your imagination. Notice some part of you that seems bothersome. Imagine this part of your personality having color, shape, texture. Ask yourself when this part first showed up — perhaps in some momentous time. Consider the part’s tough resilience to flourish in difficult situations. Thank this hard-working part of yourself, likely trying to protect you from some real or perceived danger. Awe often hides in ordinary days.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

510. Is there a part of your personality that you regularly cast aside as “weed?”

511. What might shift in your mind’s eye if you took time to investigate how that part of you filled a purpose, likely years ago?   

Grandma Pearls

I have entered Grandma territory! And what wonderful territory it is!  We need more positive people-to-people connections in these challenging times. There is nothing like welcoming a new baby to bring smiles from absolutely everyone! Strangers — who might ignore you any other day — want to send good wishes to the babe. No one cares who you voted for. No one wants to talk about their views on wars, just “What’s Baby’s name?”  

Grandma is a term of endearment. Early versions were Grandam (grand + dame) or Great Mother. Growth of a simple Great Mother idea was initiated by Mike Mathews in 2012 in Central Park. Mathews honored his Grandma, Eileen Wilkinson, by setting up a makeshift stand (painted purple, his 104-year-old Grandmother’s favorite color). He named his invention “Grandma Stand.” The wisdom of sage women, and perhaps the spontaneous decision of a passerby to have a listening ear at just the right time in their week, makes a compelling connection for strangers. An accompanying sign asks one question: “What’s something you’re working on?” or “What stands between you and happiness?” or “What’s a conflict you have right now?” or “Who doesn’t know how much they’ve impacted your life”?  or “Who’s someone you wish was still around?” or “What’s a relationship I need to fix or let go?”

Grandma Susan has gentle grace in her empathy response to a young woman who had moved to NYC from out of state. A box of Kleenex appears on the stand when tears surface: “…Most people fear change…it is normal to go into a kind of grieving with change…but what are we going to do about it?…talking is very valuable …we write our narrative. We create in our minds a story…sometimes that is constructive; sometimes it is destructive.” 

Mathews has 20 grandmothers who volunteer at Grandma Stand in NYC and the concept spread to at least 6 more states (and 20 other locations). Perhaps it is as important for the Grands as it is for the diverse passer-by clientele. Grandma Kathy espouses, “You can’t stop me from doing this. It’s the most gratifying thing I’ve ever done.” A satisfied “customer” told filmmaker Susan Polis Schutz, “Just a little love, a little talking. She’s speaking to my soul and my essence.” Another told his listening Grandmother that he told her things that he had never told anyone else.

Schutz made a documentary showcasing 20 individuals, ages 10-81, talking at Grandma Stand. Even these brief encounters can kindle hope, and perhaps ongoing awareness, for those who take a few minutes to stop by. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2026/05/07/grandma-stand

Babies and Grandmothers can bring about unlimited friendliness. Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön writes about unlimited friendliness in her book, Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears. While no particular religion is part of Grandma Stands, many who avail themselves of Grandmotherly pearls are in sacred territory.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

508. When do you talk to strangers?

509. What have you learned from a stranger?            

Boys and Men Need Our Attention

Author David Deida has a new book, The Man of Zero. “Zero” Man is defined by Deida as arriving at “…a point where he’s no longer motivated by the same motivations as in the past…[he]could become depressed. A man can collapse when he’s feeling unmotivated. But if you don’t collapse, if you can stay very present with the moment, with what is, without collapsing—even though you have no sense of purpose or meaning—something else happens. You begin to live and think and move from a deeper place that’s not personal anymore.” 

Some can identify with Deida’s philosophy; others might question its veracity for their life. Perhaps everyone can agree to attend to boys’ and men’s wellbeing. June is Men’s Health Awareness Month with the intention to emphasize a critical need for preventive health screenings. This year’s theme reflects how important it is for whole families to invest in men’s wellness — “Partners in Care: For Better Lifespans Across the Lifespan.” Men’s health is a special focus in the week leading up to Father’s Day.

The rates of male depression and suicide have risen sharply according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. More than 6 million U.S. men experience symptoms of depression every year; a recent survey uncovered that 49% of men feel more depressed than they admit to people in their lives. A further cause for concern, men are less likely to ask for help with mental health challenges.

Risks for male wellbeing include these identified factors:

  • Toxic masculinity — the stereotypical gender roles to be strong, silent, and self-sufficient.
  • Stress at work – long work hours, high-stress roles, job burnout and depression.
  • Financial concerns — often the primary breadwinner, yet men more likely to face unemployment.
  • Substance abuse – men more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs, increasing their mental health concerns.

Victor Fontanez is a barber, motivational speaker and entrepreneur, who gave free outdoor haircuts when business collapsed during the pandemic, leading to his social media platform. He became a barber-turned-counselor in Atlanta. Fontanez is a strong role model for youth. He asks 11–12-year-old boys, “What would you change in the world?” They all say gun violence.

Fontanez shares how at age 23 he experienced a mental health crisis prior to his diagnosis of bipolar I disorder: “I thought I could physically push through anything. There was no need for therapy; there was no need to slow down…I pushed my body to the limits—and then I realized, it’s mind, body, and soul. It’s three things that a person needs to take care of.” He radically changed his behavior. Along with psychotherapy and medication assistance, he no longer compromises his sleep, eats a better diet, and exercises. He celebrates his positive changes.

Join “Wear Blue” on Fridays in June to show support for men’s bodymind health.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

506. When are you a role model for wellness?

507. What further steps might promote wellness in others?   

Mothering Mental Health

What does Mother’s Day mean to you? There is a continuum of responses, as each person has unique and perhaps thorny memories of their upbringing, sometimes without a mother.

Let’s consider a mother of 6 children who lost her mother when she was 5 years old (her mother died during childbirth when a sister was born). This resilient mother is Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910). In addition to motherhood, Howe was a published author and poet, playwright, newspaper publisher, activist in abolitionism and woman’s suffrage, but perhaps best remembered for her Battle Hymn of the Republic as lyrics to the tune, John Brown’s Body. As early as age 20, Howe anonymously published in literary magazines.

Howe’s mother also was a poet in her shortened life. Her father was a Wall Street stockbroker and banker. Due to a mothering aunt and a privileged educational life with private tutors, Howe became a scholar, eventually reading and speaking 7 languages. Raised in her father’s Episcopalian religion, Howe read extensively and came to reject a Calvinistic view. She became a Unitarian; her faith became a strong motivator in her reform causes. Howe was friends with other Unitarian scholars and writers — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lucy Stone, and Theodore Parker among others.

Howe’s husband, 18 years older, reportedly wanted a stay-at-home wife, but Howe lectured widely without benefit of stay-at-home Zoom. When her husband confessed to multiple affairs on his deathbed, Howe took the high road and wrote a flattering biography of him. Never assume that “famous” or “upper class” people escape trauma. Each person’s mental health path, regardless of significant losses, has the possibility of restoring a healing journey.

May is Mental Health Awareness month with a theme of “More Good Days, Together.” It is likely that Howe’s time spent nurturing deep friendships was part of her sustaining wellness. With Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe established the American Suffrage Association. There are many ways to mother or father in one’s life. Howe mothered a peace movement when she traveled to Europe for the promotion of an International Woman’s Peace Congress.

Howe’s 1870 Mother’s Day Proclamation is a testament to her passion and persistence in peace-building. Over 150 years later, Howe’s poetry has meaning for today; she frames a mother’s love for her offspring and calls into question the “justice” notion that wars can solve problems. See her full Proclamation: https://allpoetry.com/Mother’s-Day-Proclamation

“…our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn / All that we have been able to teach them of clarity, mercy and patience. / We, the women of one country, / Will be too tender of those of another country / To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. / From the voice of a devasted Earth a voice goes up with / Our own. It says: ‘Disarm! Disarm!’ / The sword of murder is not the balance of justice….”

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

496. What are your earliest memories of your mother?

497. How do you view motherhood today?