It is peony time again. The peony bush has beautiful flowers but the flowers come and go in a short period time. Both my peony bushes are in bloom now, one in the rain garden in front and one in the Mary circle in the back. I have found that if I bring in the house an almost fully opened peony flower and put in empty beer bottle with water, I can extend its beauty for a little while longer. In general, however, just like the day lilies, the peony bushes bloom and soon die.

Today I attended the Memorial Service for my friend John Gilman that I wrote about last night in this posting. John lived a full and good life of 90 years. We were blessed that he was able to tell his story before he died in the book Footsoldier for Peace and Justice, The story of John Gillman.

Sitting at the War Memorial on the Lake Front hearing family and friends reflect on how a great person John was made me think of how brief life really is, even for person who lived it fully for 90 years. These days I find political infighting and distractions upsetting. How can we hassle about minor disputes and who says what and does what when, people on dying from war and poverty, the world is in such crisis and democracy is being destroyed in the USA.

The last point, the death of democracy in the USA is something I suspected but had it confirmed last night on the Tavis Smiley show when Robert Kennedy Jr. was the guest. In his recent documentary ‘The Last Mountain’, he takes on one of West Virginia’s most controversial issues: mountaintop-removal mining. But the story, he explains, is really a “template for what happens when corporations take over a democracy.” He states: “The domination of government by business is called fascism, and that’s what you’re seeing, that form of government.”

John Gilman fought fascism as an American soldier in World War II. Back home he fought for peace and justice as he struggled the best he could against the industrial/military/educational complex that dominates our country. He fought for and helped those who were marginalized and rejected. He barely had time for his family but not much else outside of the struggle for human rights. His life was like the peony bush, wonderfully full of beauty and wonder, but like the peony flower short. Like, with the peony flower and John, we must take advantage of life and make the most of it while it is present.

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