Richard Wagamese tells us “we change the world one story at a time.” I think of that as I read the story below about the destruction of the saguaros in order to build the border wall.

ALL THAT WE ARE IS STORY. From the moment we are born to the time we continue on our spirit journey, we are involved in the creation of the story of our time here. It is what we arrive with. It is all we leave behind. We are not the things we accumulate. We are not the things we deem important. We are story. All of us. What comes to matter then is the creation of the best possible story we can while we’re here; you, me, us, together. When we can do that and we take the time to share those stories with each other, we get bigger inside, we see each other, we recognize our kinship — we change the world one story at a time.

Richard Wagamese (October 14, 1955-March 10, 2017)
Ojibwe from Wabeseemoong Independent Nations, Canada

Relatives, how are you telling your stories?

Technology has made it easy to record our experiences and teachings in so many ways – videos, journaling, blogging, and sharing via so many accessible platforms. If we don’t tell our stories, someone else will do it for us. Do it for the next generation, for our little ones.

Digital Smoke Signals

If you don’t live in Arizona you might not know:

1) Tohono O’odham nation calls saguaros “aunt” and “uncle,” so that gives you an idea of what this represents aside from habitat destruction;
2) saguaros are ONLY native to the Sonoran desert;
3) it is ILLEGAL to take them down (class four felony); and
4) saguaros are vital to the Sonoran ecosystem, even after they die and fall down naturally.

Feel free to air your complaints to
@CBPArizona and @Kiewit Construction (and their subsidiary Southwest Valley Constructors) who are raking in almost $700 million destroying our beloved desert.

Digital Smoke Signals

I was led to create this blog to tell stories. Most mornings the Spirit tells me a story to tell that day. As Richard Wagamese says so eloquently above, what matters is creating the best possible stories together. This morning I am told to share these stories about the saguaros, sharing our stories with each other.

Many of my Quaker relatives have been concerned about how stories of Friends are lost when those Quakers die.  My mother in particular has tried to get Friends to write some of those stories so they are preserved, and can be shared with others.  That lead to the creation of the Quaker Stories Project, that you are encouraged to read, share with others, and add your own stories to.  (one way to do that is email jakislin@outlook.com).

As is said above, “Relatives, how are you telling your stories? Do it for the next generation, for our little ones. “