I am weary of the constant debate about global warming, the acrimonious argument around whether it is caused by human action or the result of normal cycles. Or even that global warming is real.
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Perhaps, as in the purported words of Yogi Berra “I don’t want to give the right answer to the wrong question,” it is time to change the question around global warming.

Rather than asking “Is global warming caused by man’s actions?” the question should be “What kind of world do we want to live in?”

Do we want to live in a world where our lakes, rivers, and aquifers are so polluted our water is not safe to drink?

Do we want to live in a world in which our oceans can no longer support life?

Do we want to live in a world where the air we breathe is so filled with chemicals we must wear masks just to venture outside, where our children are not able to play on the playground?

A world where our soil is so depleted and contaminated that even the food we eat is not healthy?

Or do we want to live in a world where we can actually see the sun, shining in all its brilliance? Where the air is clear, rivers flow freely, our food is fresh and natural, and oceans are home to thousands of sea life, not floating islands of plastic trash. Where nature is valued and respected for what it offers us.

We need to change the narrative we have grown up with, that we are the superior conquerors of the Earth and all that it holds. It’s time to recognize that all is connected, animal, vegetable and mineral. That all relies on the others to not only be sustained but flourish.

What kind of world do we want to live in? is the question we should ask. Only then will we be able to come up with the right answers. Only then will it be possible to create a world that is nurturing and supportive of all life.

What kind of world do you want to live in?

A little over a year ago I sold BellaSpark Magazine, a publication I managed for almost ten years. The previous year I stopped doing BellaSpark events. This week I quit my radio show of five years, InnerViews with Kimmie Rose and Donna Visocky. It seems that I have let go of just about everything I had wrapped my life around for the last fourteen years.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a symphony concert. I love the symphony and still hold fond memories of my time with them as Executive Director. Yet as I sat in the audience I realized how much I had changed since I had left to start my own business, to follow my path of exploration. I no longer felt as if this organization, these people and this music were mine. You can’t go back. The voice in my head whispered loudly. You can only go forward.

I awake to sunshine, surprised that my body, somehow knowing that I had no agenda this morning, no time clock to punch, had decided to sleep past its normal 4:00 a.m. rise time. As I prepare for my morning run the light teases me as it filters through the blinds of my east facing windows. “Come play with us,” it whispers. “We are waiting for you. It is spring.”

I have had the opportunity to work with many of the world’s top visionaries and have learned much over the years from these wonderful people. But, I would like to introduce you to my greatest teachers: my grandchildren. They understand this concept better than anyone I know.

We attended a concert a while back, Beatlemania with the local Symphony. It was great fun, all of us Baby Boomers dancing and groovin’ away to all the songs we grew up with. One thing really caught our attention though, aside from the beer bellies and blue jeans; we were delighted to see many in the audience opening their cell phones to shine light on the concert. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a rock concert, cell phones instead of cigarette lighters, amazing! It started with just a couple and then the lights multiplied one by one as more and more of us caught on. A single light here, another there, four more in that section, a whole row across the way; eventually, the entire hall was filled with shining lights. Cool…..

- The Mask – 
When you lose someone you love, it’s like a light goes out in your heart. When my daughter Kristi died, I felt that the light in my soul would never shine again. But life goes on, they say, and you have things to do. So you put on your mask and face the world everyday. The mask hides the pain and the grief, on your face, in your heart; and you get through the day. The mask becomes a new part of you and you are prepared to wear it forever.
 
And then little things happen...

• You see a sign, a butterfly or a penny, and you know that she is with you and always will be a part of you. 
  

… and the mask begins to crack.

• My grandson Nicholas tells me he sees Aunt Kristi. “She is the brightest star in the sky.” he says. And you know that she gently guides him. 
  

. . .  and the mask cracks a little more until a faint light, your light, shines weakly through.

• My friend Rayno says Kristi’s smiling face pops into his mind and brightens his day. And you know that she made an impact on people. 
  

. . . and the cracks in the mask grow wider; and the light peeks through, like rays of sun partly hidden behind a cloud.

• My beautiful daughter Jenny gives birth to my new granddaughter, and you know that she is sent to you as a gift from God and Kristi to ease your pain.
  

. . . and the cracks grow even wider as you dare to allow your love and light to shine on this new child.

And so it goes . . .
Slowly, little by little, the mask breaks apart and you begin to feel the sun on your face again; the light in your heart shine again. It may take years, but you know that someday, some how, the mask will disintegrate and you will show your face to the world again. It is a different face than before, because you are different, but it will be your face, none-the-less, and not the mask.                              
                                                                                              ~ Donna Visocky

Have you ever noticed how much stuff we have? Gadgets for this and tools for that, clothes we don’t even wear, the latest toys that sit unplayed with, and big houses filled with more stuff. We are jealous of other people’s stuff and tend to feel less than if someone has more stuff than us. So we end up working long hours just to buy more stuff, often using credit cards to finance our addiction. And then we fret over it and worry that we won’t be able to pay our bills so we work even longer hours. We live in fear that someone might take our stuff so we buy more stuff to protect our stuff. Recently, a friend took several boxes of old stuff to a local Goodwill. She was turned away. Turns out they were filled to the rafters with other people’s stuff and couldn’t take any more. We can’t even give away our stuff!

You will survive.. My message to anyone who has lost a loved one, especially a child. I have to admit, when someone told me that same thing after my daughter Kristi died, I didn't believe them. I did not want to live any longer on this Earth without my daughter. I wanted to leave. I didn't care about life, I wanted to be with my daughter. The thought of living another 30+ years was excruciatingly painful.

Yet here I am, 12 years later and yes, I have survived. Was it a long hard road? Yes. But somewhere along the way, about a year ago, I decided I wanted to live. I remember the moment, the thought came to me loud and clear "I want to live!"