Roselle Kovitz, a contributing writer for the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, shares an observation from one of her walks to the Ballard Locks in her Seattle neighborhood.

The other morning, while wandering through a nearby botanical garden, I passed a woman who regularly practices tai chi overlooking the Ballard Locks. Seeing her brings me a kind of comfort.

As I headed down the back side of the garden path, past the spent purple irises, I neared an older woman, her head swathed in white, wearing an oversized dirty windbreaker covering layers of clothes. She carried a white plastic bucket, bags and a reaching aid. I see her on the mornings I walk to the locks. She picks up trash and fetches recyclables from cans and dumpsters.

Following a haphazard trail of litter, she crossed into my path to pick up a piece of paper. She apologized for veering in front of me and explained, “It’s a zig zag world in my life.” We exchanged a few words about the weather and why she was wearing a jacket that day. Then, our paths diverged, like they usually do.

One day she stopped me and asked what size my waist was. The question itself startled me so that I answered. She said she had lost weight and thought she might be about my size now. She told me she walks about 17 miles a day. We often say hello to one another, but I don’t know her name or her situation, nor she mine.

There are so many people in our lives who we see, but don’t know. Sometimes just the sight of someone we regularly encounter is enough to reassure us of life’s rhythms and provide some comfort. Whether we delve into the universe of feelings, experiences, hopes and dreams of those whose paths we cross or whether we take comfort in a daily smile or hello, people—even on the periphery of our lives—are instrumental in shaping us and teaching us important lessons. And when they are gone we may feel disoriented, or mourn their loss.

So many of us are indeed strangers in a zig zag world—collecting layers of experiences, recycled ideas, and bits and pieces of wisdom along the way. To both of the women I see on my walks, thank you for modeling beauty and grace, persistence and patience. Thank you for being there.

Now I understand what fatherhood is all about–it’s about love.
–Argin Hutchins

As we approach Father’s Day and celebrate fathers and father figures in our lives, it’s important to acknowledge that this day of celebration brings up a wide range of feelings, memories, and experiences for many. In a special segment, NPR’s Tell Me More producers Brakkton Booker, Luis Clemens, Argin Hutchins, and Lee Hill talk about their experiences growing up with and without the presence of their fathers. They also talk about what Father’s Day means to them.

In addition to the campaign film, The Power of Forgiveness, below are two films that explore the topic of forgiveness.  For even more film selections that explore both love and forgiveness, check out the resources section of our web site.

Forgiveness, a 2004 South African film, explores forgiveness, revenge, and redemption in the aftermath of the apartheid regime. “An ex-policeman haunted by the torture and murder he committed during South Africa’s apartheid years, makes the long journey to the small fishing town of Paternoster, to beg forgiveness of the family of his victim–slain 21-year-old freedom fighter, Daniel Grootman.”

The Canadian film, “Forgiveness: Stories for Our Time focuses on four individuals who have lived through events so painful and horrific they are unimaginable to most of us. The film tells their stories through heartfelt interviews, archival footage and beautiful images shot by acclaimed cinematographer John Walker.” Johanna Lunn, former program director for Canada’s Independent Film Channel, wrote and directed the film.

Campaign for Love & Forgiveness spokesperson, Frederic Luskin, PhD, will be a featured speaker at a Greater Good Seminar, “The Science of a Meaningful Life: Forgiveness & Gratitude” on Friday, September 25, 2009 in Berkeley, California.

Dr. Luskin will teach participants the forgiveness training methodology he has validated through successful studies, including the “Nine Steps to Forgiveness” he developed as part of his Stanford University Forgiveness Projects. Participants will explore forgiveness with the goal of reducing hurt and helplessness, letting go of anger and grudges, and increasing their feelings of confidence and hope.

A brief presentation by UC Davis Psychologist, Robert Emmons, PhD, will focus on the physical, psychological, and social benefits that come from practicing gratitude. He will also highlight research-tested methods for boosting gratitude in everyday life.

Information and online registration is available here.

Gardening can be an act of love and a healing endeavor. Gardening calls on us to honor the cycles of life and impermanence, and to be patient and nurturing. Gardens, too, can remind us of the great beauty of accepting what is.

The benefits of creating and tending a garden are many. A garden can provide a place of refuge, a place where we can contemplate things greater than ourselves, witness the extremes of nature, or seek the quiet of meditation.

Check out the campaign web site for ideas on creating a garden of love and forgiveness, including the symbolic meaning of plants, books, and web resources for further information. You may also want to watch a brief video featuring forgiveness researcher and author, Fred Luskin, Ph.D., and Rev. Lyndon Harris, former chaplain at St. Paul’s Chapel in lower Manhattan, discuss the creation of a garden of forgiveness after 9/11.

Ubuntu is nothing more than compassion brought into colorful practice.
–Credo Mutwa, Zulu shaman and elder

The web has allowed for incredible global connections to happen. From Playing for Change to The Global Oneness Project, people are finding creative ways to unite people across political and geographical boundaries.

Since 2006, members of The Global Oneness Project “have been traveling the globe gathering stories from creative and courageous people who base their lives and work on the understanding that we bear great responsibility for each other and our shared world.”

In particular, one of their videos explains the African term “ubuntu.” ‘Ubuntu, a traditional African philosophy, recognizes how we are inextricably bound in each other’s humanity. Translated as, “I am because you are,” Ubuntu describes a sense of unity between people through which we each discover our own strengths and virtues.’ Rooted in African culture, ubuntu has a lot to teach those of us from cultures that emphasize individualism.

Another inspiring video is about the Seva Cafe where patrons practice “paying it forward.”

Today is the day in Australia called, National Day of Healing. But most people just call it Sorry Day.

The first Sorry Day was in 1998 after the “Bringing Them Home” report on the injustices done to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. For years the Australian government sanctioned the removal of aboriginal children from their families to assimilate them into white Australian culture. The children who were removed came to be known as the “Stolen Generation.”

As a part of this, Sorry Books, in which people could record their personal feelings, were presented to representatives of the Indigenous communities. “Around 1,000 official Sorry Books were circulated around Australia by Australians for Native Title, assisted also by Australians for native Title and Reconciliation and a vast network of volunteers. They were displayed in a variety of places including local councils, libraries, museums, churches, bookshops, art galleries and schools.”

Speaking of the process of apologizing, the late Sir Ronald Wilson, president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission said, “In chairing the National Inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, I had to relate to hundreds of stories of personal devastation, pain, and loss. It was a life-changing experience. An apology begins the healing process. Apology means understanding, a willingness to enter into the suffering. It implies a commitment to do more.”

In reading about a book on forgiveness, a blog entry by author Naseem Rakha, pointed to a wonderful You Tube video. Watch as commuters in Belgium are captivated by an unexpected eruption of song and dance that changes the mood of an ordinary morning into something extraordinary and buoyant. 

Songwriters periodically contact us to share original songs about forgiveness, which we’ll share with you in future blog entries. Recently Paul Reisler, musician and founder of Kid Pan Alley, wrote to let us know about “Forgiveness”, a beautiful song he co-wrote with Pam Rose and Georgia Middleman. The work of Kid Pan Alley, Reisler’s brainchild, which brings songwriting into classrooms, is impressive.”Imagine what it’s like to be a child writing a song in their classroom with a professional songwriter,” their site suggests. “And suppose that your song was recorded by a world-class recording artist like Delbert McClinton, Cracker, Sissy Spacek, Amy Grant, Kix Brooks, Suzie Bogguss, Corey Harris, or Raul Malo.” It’s a great idea that supports, acknowledges, and celebrates the creativity and importance of the voices of children.

“Happiness the Hard Way,” an article in Greater Good Magazine, explores how approaches to happiness have evolved. In it, author Darrin M. McMahon argues “that something of value may have been lost or forgotten in our transition to modern ideas of happiness.” Instead, he points out that “science is rediscovering the validity of ancient perspectives on happiness—that there are important connections between hope and happiness, for example, or between gratitude and forgiving and happiness, altruism and happiness.”