WOW!

I am overwhelmed by the response to "One Snowflake in a Blizzard" from strangers, friends, and family. The comments and e-mails that we have received not only help me to feel that our efforts are worthwhile, but they also give me hope for the future, knowing there are so many kind, compassionate and caring people out there in the world. As some of you may know, last year we set out on a cross-country road trip, traveling 15,000 miles across Canada, south into New England, and then back across the northern tier of the United States. We began in a town called Hope (British Columbia). It seemed like an appropriate place to start a journey that we called, “Looking for Hope.”

It was not hope for ourselves that we searched to find, but hope for the future of our planet. We did not go with any preconceived idea – had no idea what “hope” would look like when we found it. Many find it in their own religious or political belief systems. I personally don’t find hope in exclusiveness. There are some things that should transcend the divisiveness that that can create. I find hope in small communities like Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia where we spotted a group of four people holding handmade signs. Bob said, “Oh I hope this is what I think it is.” It was. These were peace activists who had been doing this every Saturday morning. There were only four on this day because it was the Thanksgiving weekend. Usually there were more. As we stood talking with them, cars went by honking their horns in support, people waved, and passersby would signal thumbs up. I still remember that sunny fall day in Annapolis Royal, and those four bright, passionate people with their signs, calling for an end to war. One of those people was “Jane.” Yesterday we received a wonderful e-mail from Jane, letting us know that she has been reading our blog, and telling others about it. Then an e-mail came from a friend of hers in California. The previous night, Jane’s twin sister who lives in a log cabin in Ontario posted a supportive comment to “One Snowflake.” Talk about connecting dots across the continent.

Jane and Peace Activists in Annapolis, Nova Scotia

Another community that gave us reason to hope was the whole state of Vermont. So when I read about a 60-year old professor from Brattleboro, Vermont who was going to walk 500 miles to Washington D.C. to deliver a petition for the impeachment of Bush/Cheney I immediately went to his MARCH IN MY NAME website. That connection brought us in touch with others of like mind and we received supportive comments from them also. As Bob reflected at the completion of our trip, “There is a genuine recognition of the problems that we face and acknowledgement of the seriousness of those problems. There is also a deep commitment on the part of many of the people that we met, to do something about them.” They see the better world within our grasp, achievable by working together for the common good. That is where hope lies. It is what Paul Hawken writes about in his book, “Blessed Unrest.” We are connecting the dots.

Thank you all for your concern, support, and for spreading the word. PEACE

... P. L. Morningstar
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