Yada yada yada
Yada yada yada
Yada yada yada
Who’s listening?
The listener has no task but listening.
The minute he begins to talk, he loses
His status as listener.

So I come into a meeting led by my friend Phil McWilliams. He is more than friend, he is guide and mentor for many. Only thing is, he has no agenda, just a soft twinkle in his eye.

I sit there in a cozy chair, most others are on the floor, including Phil. He has a guitar which he uses to accompany a lovely tenor voice. He wears many hats but doesn’t talk about them. He laughs more than he talks.

We are in Phil’s house, his house ablaze with peace. Drawn here by some force beyond the mind, I can just be grateful to know him, to be a part of this circle of peace.

He has a project in the works called “Singing for Peace.” But there are no outer signs to be given by him, just suggestions on the wind, of us trying to feel like we are the beloved receiving what is being given to us.

People speak, the others listening. But we are listening to our own hearts, primarily. That is how it should be. There is only one peace and only one heart. Once we get in tune with that, words fail.

He leads us in some chants, encouraging us to feel the presence of those we love shining down on us. I am sure there are quiet tears, ones that heal the weary soul.

Vicki Woodyard