I decided quite early that I was not going to be coy about how old I was, because it fits into the ageism that we have in the society. There were certainly times when someone (almost always a man) would say to me and one of my daughters “My goodness, I thought you were sisters!” I would say, “You know, you need to get your eyes checked!”

There was another time when my grandson, Charley and I were in the grocery, and in the checkout line. Charlie said in a loud voice, “Now! I am four and you are 60.” I said, “Right,” as several people turned to look. 

Then Charlie said “When I am five, you will be 61.” Again I said, “Right.”

Then he asked, “When I am 10, how old will you be?” I said, “Sixty-six.”

People were still looking, and even more of them were smiling.

Charlie was quiet for a minute as he thought and then he said, “When I am 51, how old will you be?” I grin, and say victoriously, “One hundred and seven!”

Learn more about the Daybook of My personal Faith

The post That Aging Thing appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

A few days ago I posted about the upcoming execution of Quintin Phillipe Jones. I urged people to write the governor of Texas and ask that his sentence be changed to life in prison. I did that. A hundred and seventy thousand people signed the petition asking the governor for that change.

The state of Texas executed him on May 19th.

Suleika Jaouad, the journalist who has been in communication with him for twelve years, was quoted in the US Sun: “The world is not a better place because Quin is gone.”

And for me, that is the reality. The death penalty adds another layer of violence to the society, and worse still, it is carried out BY the society.

Gandhi once said “Evil means, even for a good end, produce evil results.”

And Winslow Myers in his book Living Beyond War wrote: The means are the ends in the making.

For me, it is not justice. It is violence.

The post May 20–Execution of Quintin Phillipe Jones Carried Out appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

On September 19 in the book I published Daybook of My Personal Faith, the subject matter is the death penalty and the reasons I believe it should be abolished.

Last night at 10:30pm I wrote a letter to Governor Greg Abbott of Texas asking him to commute the sentence of Quintin Phillipe Jones who is currently set to be executed on May 19th.

This is an instance where the person to be executed admits that he did what he was charged with, and has deep regrets about that action, but he has turned himself around. Now he is asking to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Two things from the September 19 entry ring clear to me in this case: 1) the crime which he committed happened in 1999 and he is now a different person. 2) change is always possible and once the person has been executed society ends that possibility. In my belief system, God never gives up on anyone and asks me to do the same–not give up on that person’s ability to change.

There have been others who served out their life within prison walls and did good things with that time. I hope this man will get that opportunity.

Quintin Phillipe Jones will continue to be in my prayers. And I’ll spread the word urging people who feel as I do to write Governor Abbott. If you agree, I urge you to do the same.

To learn more about Quintin: clemencyforquin.com/

To sign the petition to the Governor of Texas: CLICK HERE

Write the Governor of Texas: CLICK HERE

The post Death Row appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

I lived in Rockland County, New York, in the town of Pomona and I think I met Richard in one or more of the many cooperatives that had been formed in that county. Then he introduced me to the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the oldest peace group in the world, located in Nyack, NY, just about thirty minutes from where I lived. And Richard became a friend. He died this month, on April 7, and these are just a few of my memories.

I loved his deep dedication to peace, lived out in his life. He worked for the FOR and traveled the world making peace. At the very same time he held his sense of humor, his lightness, his love of making music, and his word play. I could rarely say something to him without him turning some word around or upside down and causing a smile or laugh between us.

Eventually I bought a house right across the street from him and we and his family became solid friends. Jan, his wife, is a professional musician. Many of his children were involved with music. I can remember one time in my house hearing drumming. I went out the front door–looked across the street–and found some of his young adult children on the roof of their house, drumming away.

He traveled all over the world training others in non-violence. He believed with a very deep knowledge in the power of non-violence to work. He told me of non-violence training he did (I believe in Korea) where it was forbidden for the people to sing “We Shall Overcome,” and he said, “at every church service, at every gathering, with obvious government people present, they would sing it–strong and full of life.”

Sometimes I would see him out in front of his house gardening, and I would cross the street and we would talk. He was always ready to pause, tell a story, laugh with a friend. 

And finally each year there was a gathering after Christmas and before New Year’s of singing carols in their livingroom–old ones, new ones and finally the lighting of the Christmas tree–real tree, real candles and a feeling of peace come once more to the world.

Good memories of a good friend—set free now. Tonight I’ll sit outside with a candle and sing a song of peace. Perhaps he will be singing too.

(On the internet, go to: wagingnonviolence.org and scroll down to find “Remember Rev. Richard Deats.” See his picture and read more of the scope of his life written by  Ethan Vesely-Flad, director of national organizing for the FOR, and John Dear, long time peace activist, former executive director of the FOR and now director of  the Beatitudes Center of the Nonviolent Jesus.)

The post Richard Deats, a Friend appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

I start out in the morning with a good sized list,

I mean to check it off one by one,

and I work pretty steady doing my best,

but I never get everything done.

so I clap my hands, then stamp my feet,

and promise myself that tomorrow will be better,

but every single day I slip farther back

I wonder if I’ll ever catch up—

yes, I wonder if I’ll ever catch up.

The post Catching Up appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

Begin My Day

I’ve written a lot of graces and collected some others and I sing a different one every morning. Some of them are spoken ones—some are rhythmic—and a lot of them are a smidge too enthusiastic for me on a few of my days.

So I wrote a quieter one. It does have music, which is quieter too; but I just tried out saying it and it works as a spoken grace also. Try it in the morning.

Chant for Today

the moment is new – my God is here

to help me live – another day

O thank you God – for food and breath

and all the bits of joy I’ll find along the way

The post Quieter Grace to Begin My Day appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

I have gathered quotes I like and now have a collection of two years and four months worth of wonderful sayings or very, very short poems. On February 12 this one emerged again:

 Try never to ignore or talk away someone’s perception. Instead, try to understand where it is rooted.           ——John Paul Lederach

In 2006 I read his book The Little Book of Conflict Transformation, and in 2010 I read The Moral Imagination. He has been at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame for many years. And then he has traveled all over the world to put his teachings into practice in places of conflict.

But go back to the quote a minute:  Try never to ignore or talk away someone’s perception. Instead, try to understand where it is rooted.— Lederach

Sometimes I do the opposite in a conversation, try to talk so that you give up what you believe and jump right over to what I believe.

Hmmm…I might just try Lederach’s tactic: try to understand the roots of where you’re coming from.

The post I Can Convince You appeared first on Ann Freeman Price.

Singing Chants

I can’t remember when I first started loving and singing chants. But by now I’m deep into them. If you have the Daybook of My Personal Faith that I published this year, you know that there is a chant in every month, and occasionally there are two. And on February 10th of the Daybook, I wrote about learning from Walter Wink the results of singing a chant over and over for thirty minutes. But normally I don’t do thirty minutes.

However, I always sing a chant at least three times in a row—and then throughout the day. I cement it into my life that day and it’s just about as good as singing it for thirty minutes.

Sometimes I play with it a little. For instance, in the chant “Turn Around,” (February 14) I sang it as written probably for half the day, and then as I was singing it again, I thought: this chant keeps saying “you”. What if I change it to “me”? Well, I tried it, and it catapulted into the very personal and after doing it three or four times, I felt forgiven and like starting over.

turn around – God forgives

mistakes I make – as I live

turn around – God alone

says to me – “come on home”

So sing the chants, feel free to play with them a little, and try out different things with them.

I got a new book on chants for Christmas. When I finish it, you’ll hear about it.

Be sure to check out the Day Book of My Personal Faith

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The Chant Sounds Throughout the Day

In my most recently published book, Daybook of My Personal Faith, there is a chant to sing in every month. I discovered this month that it was wonderful to sing it not only on the day it appeared in the book, but to just keep singing it.

It would come to my mind over and over, and when I would think of it, I’d sing it—and sing it multiple times. The December chant focuses on that phrase: Peace, be still, and know that I am God. So, to sing that over and over is a calming, peaceful thing to do.

I guess I’ll just keep singing it until I come to the one in January and then I’ll switch!

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Look Well to This Day

Look well to this day

For it and it alone is life.

In its brief course

Lie all the essence of your existence:

The Glory of Growth

The Satisfaction of Achievement

The Splendor of Beauty

For yesterday is but a dream,

And tomorrow is but a vision.

But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

—Kalidasa, Indian Poet, Fifth Century A.D.

This poem fits well for today and yet was written in the fifth century, where I’m guessing it also fit well. And perhaps that’s because in every period of time we have to remind ourselves that it is today that matters. So make it the best “today” you can.

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