Dreamvisions 7 Radio Network’s PEACE Campaign 2026 Essay #10
“What Does Peace Look Like to YOU?” by Wendy Fachon in Rhode Island
Looking out the kitchen window one morning, I noticed a bright red male Northern Cardinal standing on our picnic table. A Cardinal can be a bully, puffing up its chest and crying, “Birdy, birdy, birdy,” to tease smaller birds, and shoo them away from the bird feeder
A bright Blue Jay landed on the picnic table across from the Cardinal and took an unfriendly hop toward the Cardinal, as if to challenge it to a fight. A Blue Jay is a bigger bully than a Cardinal. This cunning bird can cry like a hawk in order to scare other birds away from the bird feeder.
As I watched the two birds face one another down, I noticed the Blue Jay stop and freeze in place. Wondering why, I noticed something resting in stillness between the two quarrelsome birds. It was a white badminton birdy, with its smooth round head pointed skyward and a skirt of white plastic feathers. It reminded me of a white dove. The Peacemaker.
“Birdy, Birdy, Birdy. Three birdies,” I mused, “Well look at that! Red, white, and blue!”
The badminton birdy reminded me of a Mourning Dove, which is often the first bird to arrive at our bird feeder in the morning. Larger than both the Cardinal and the Blue Jay, the Mourning Dove is a soft beige color with small black spots on its cheeks and wings.
These gentle birds radiate a powerful sense of calm. Unperturbed by the quarrelsomeness of other birds, they respond with serenity. They show us what harmony and coexistence look like. They teach us that the peace we seek already resides within our hearts. Our inner peace is the Peace of God.
Peace is always a choice. When we feel upset or angry, we can choose to stop and sit still for a moment… calm our heart and take a deep breath… and slowly let it out and relax. Inner peace defuses anger and gives people time to think and work things out.
Learn how you can contribute to our community Peace Campaign here https://dreamvisions7radio.com/peace-campaign-2024/
