May 11th 2025
This past week has been all about big news. And a few themes have emerged.
In the UK and other parts of Europe, we’ve had a week of VE Day 80th celebrations featuring themes of bravery, comradeship, and sacrifice. When you see the few remaining individuals who have firsthand memories of their active involvement in the War effort, it becomes clear that this was likely the last significant milestone to be celebrated with these dear folk. From now on, we must strive for peace and reconciliation where there is war and work to prevent escalation in the face of fallout, threats of revenge, and firepower.
Then there was the Conclave for a new Pope, followed by the announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s election. He has already talked about building bridges into the world and, in his first speech, declared: “God cares for us, God loves all of us, and evil will not prevail! We are all in God’s hands.”
I went with my husband and son to see the highly acclaimed “Dear England” at the National Theatre. Passion, national pride, resilience, and hope were the themes of this excellent performance.
It was also the week of two of my grandchildren’s birthdays, which is a poignant time for us because they live so far away and we cannot be with them. My hope, and indeed my prayer, for these two little girls is that as they grow up they will learn how to be channels of love, hope, resilience, and peace in a broken and hurting world.
Inspiring stories can help us learn and grow, and it’s stories like these inspired me to write my book.
“People forget facts but they remember stories.” – Joseph Campbell
You can find the link for the book here