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Dear Judy: Today I finished reading your wonderful “Transforming Power” book. Congratulations!!! I will always remember the day I met you on Harbord St. when I was living in Alvin and Glenna’s house and you came to visit. You were the cousin I longed for. I think of you as practicing the “politics of inclusion” (my term). You always reached out to me and to others. I was especially impressed at Frank Shuster’s funeral when I was signing the book and you came and invited me to sit with you.
I also think of you often as I go to an aboriginal women’s full moon ceremony every month at the meeting place near where I’m sending this letter. I wrote a poem that I want to share with you.

PEACE HUGS. IT IS A CIRCLE
Peace is a circle. It is encompassing.
There is no peace for me
Unless there is peace for you.
I see no other way.
Peace for Jews without peace for Arabs
Is not real peace, in my opinion.
Peace is a circle. It is humanistic,
Encompassing good, bad and in between.
PEACE HUGS
And when it hugs, it embraces hell, hunger,
Animality, anger, tranquility, rapture,
Learning, realization, altruism, enlightenment,
And, all states of awareness.

Peace is a circle, like a hora dance.
Left, right, swaying side-to-side, forward and back
Arms raised as in a truce,
Arms raised as in peace.

I also wanted to share a poem of poet/philosopher Daisaku Ikeda. He has been my mentor for the 30 years I’ve been a practicing Buddhist (nam myoho renge kyo). He says: “…Quite simply, there can be no democracy unless the citizens of a country realize that they are sovereign, that they are the main protagonists, and that with wisdom and a strong sense of responsibility, take action based on that realization. Democracy cannot be successful in its mission unless the people rouse themselves to become more informed and involved, unless they unite, unless they establish an unshakable force for justice and keep a strict eye on the activities of the powerful…”

Anyway…I wanted you to know that not only are you respected, but loved.