Ukraine

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I am not much of a habitual pray-er. My praying usually comes in bursts of irregularity and can be about lifting a family member for specific circumstances or lovingkindness meditation, which is a form of prayer. Or the most basic of prayers, which are “Help!” and “Thanks!”

But I prayed most fervently and throughout the days that there would be no war in Europe. And I still pray for the protection of Ukraine, and for the people of Russia who are proving their distaste for war in demonstrations. I pray for the leaders in the EU and NATO who walk a balancing act of wanting to help Ukraine and being constrained by the limits of treaties and boundaries. I pray for the innocent of Russia who will suffer from the sanctions, and from the soldiers on both sides who will suffer bloodshed for the pleasure of one monomaniacal dictator. I send prayers of strength and safety to Volodymyr Zelensky, who has stepped up for his people.

I pray that this war will be short and that Ukraine will prevail. I pray that the rest of Europe and the NATO countries are not forced to join in. I pray that Putin, clearly mentally ill, is deposed. His casual talk of nuclear weapons is chilling.

I pray for President Biden, too, as he navigates these stormy seas. He has supporters in many of the former presidents (and one who is rooting for Putin). Our own country is on the brink of losing the identity and democracy that we have always been so proud of with new Nationalistic tendencies on the Right. I pray that we can hold on to our democracy, this brave experiment. The far left is not much better. I pray we have an upswell from the silent moderate majority and take back the reins from the extremes. The moderates have been appeasing the far edges long enough. We need to vote vote vote!

But the primary focus of my prayers is just please please end this war.

End all war.

War in Europe and the Middle East

and Asia and Africa and South America.

Tensions boiling to civil war in our own country.

Peace come

Beat the swords into plowshares

and the guns into, I don’t know,

maybe smartwatches or compacts,

make the tanks into strawberry planters and

the missiles into canoes

and plant wildflowers

instead of IEDs

share tea

share pastries

(those Eastern Europeans

know their Pastries)

Share stories

share music

share dreams

please, please

war no more

war no more

war no more