Let Peace Reign

October is a month filled with important celebratory dates for me: my grandson's birthday, my daughter's birthday, my sister's birthday, my nephews' birthdays, my aunt's birthday...many birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, including the birthday of John Lennon and anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the Americas.

to this add various other harvest festivals, days of atonement and celebrations of the dead, and October rivals December for things to celebrate and remember.

and now Barack Obama has been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize (because, despite his brief tenure as leader of the free world, he has changed the timbre, tone and direction of the world conversation--not a moment too soon) and His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been award the Tom Lantos Prize for humanitarian effort.

I can't help but stop and watch the leaves change color (subtly though they may here in Savannah) and meditate on what is truly important: love and compassion and equality and peace.