ATM ~ A thoughtful moment

Here are some spiritual and hopeful moments to fill up our souls this holiday season!

When I was teaching communications at University of Georgia, I had an alert for "teachable moments". Students got extra participation points if they spotted one, pointed it out and summarized what was learned. We called them ATMs. In today's society, we all go to the ATM to fill up our pocket books with cash. I think we could use some spiritual and intellectual ATMs for our souls after such an amazing but grueling year of activism.

So, I will start this out. Hillary (Not Clinton) sent a beautiful little blog about her caroling last night that I know will touch everyone's heart. I give it back to you again in peace and ask only that you share with us any teachable or soul filling moments you have had this holiday season. In turn, I will post them on the CodePINK Florida blog as a holiday resting place. You can reply here or send to codepinkorlando@ gmail.com I've also included Lydia's wonderful news!

Peace on Earth @ Lake Worth
Tonight a handful of us gathered in our full pink and went caroling along Lake Avenue in Lake Worth, FL singing the peace carols and passing out what flyers I had and as we were wishing there were more people out, a woman came up to us and thanked us. She had lost her son in Iraq earlier this year. We gathered her in our pink boa-ed arms and shared a moment. We asked her son's name-- Alex Fuller. So we told her we would dedicate our next song to him, and we sang "Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me..."

Our voices were cracking and tears were streaming down our faces and we remembered why we are doing what we are doing. The rest of the caroling was very wonderful response and we connected with several wonderful people.

Then on the way home I stopped at Cracker Barrel for some take out and picked up some blocs that spelled Peace on Earth--which led to an amazing conversation with the woman at the cash register whose son just came home from his second tour--she said all she wants for Christmas is Peace.

~~~ Hillary [Not Clinton] Keyes <spiderhill@usa. net> WP FL CodePINK

Adel Hamad is free from Guantanamo
Dear all,Sometimes we wonder if what we do is helping. Is dressing up and street theater going to make a difference? Are we wasting our time in thinking we can change things?I'm here to say that EVERYTHING we do is helping. I've been standing in orange jumpsuit and hood/chains for a Guantanamo detainee named Adel Hamad, #940, for some time now. After 5 years in GITMO he still had never been charged, never been tried and was going blind from looking thru chain link fence for so long.He was released from GITMO last Thursday. He is home with his family.Keep the faith and never stop. The joy Dave and I feel tonight is almost impossible to express.We will all feel this joy when our troops start coming home to stay. Peace, Lydia
~~~ From: Lydia Vickers