Dona Nobis Pacem

One "meets" the most amazing people in cyberspace. I know I've come across quite a few since beginning this blog almost a year ago.

One of them is Mimi Lenox. She and I go back a long way (hey, a year can seem like a long time in the blogging world). This woman never fails to make me smile, I always give her a mental hug. She's a tireless blogger who runs several sites simultaneously; one of which is the Peace Globe Movement. The idea is simple: personalize a Peace Globe and make a post about it. Express your thoughts about it through words and/or images. Not too difficult for bloggers. After all, isn't blogging a form of self-expression?

Those of us who participate in Mimi's Blog Blast for Peace appreciate this additional avenue she's provided for us to share our thoughts with others about it. So many people love the idea and they've been busting their asses spreading the word and helping with the Peace Globe gallery: Annelisa in the UK, Prometheus in India, Frank Sirianni in Canada, Morgen in Michigan, [Lizza in the Philippines *grin*], and lots more.

Like I said, there are many amazing people online. Another one of them is a certain woman. Her blog makes me laugh so hard most times. She writes about things like, um, bananas (tee hee), geriatric sex, ...she can even make enemas sexually appealing (for men, at least). Going through her archives is such a rewarding, laughter-filled experience.

No, she isn't part of Mimi's Peace Globe movement. But she, like so many others, do their peacekeeping in other ways. You know how some people make it a big point to let others know how big a sacrifice they're making by forgoing creature comforts to do volunteer work? It's like they're saying, "Look at me, roughing it out in God knows where but that's okay because I'm doing something good for others while the rest of you can't be bothered to do what I'm doing. Or if you are, you aren't sacrificing as much as I am." Philanthropic snobbery, bah.

Well, this woman is nothing like that. No, no, not at all. For the past two years, she's been spending her vacation time away from her sunny country to teach orphans in a small town in central Vietnam. And no, it isn't a big sacrifice for her at all! In her words: "It is the most enjoyable thing I've ever done in my life. I get far, far more back from the kids and adults I teach than I can ever give them." She doesn't blog about this aspect of her life and I wouldn't have known about it if it weren't for my damnably curious nature. I couldn't help asking about her current hiatus -- and she most graciously told me a bit about it.


Dona Nobis Pacem translates to "Give Us Peace." My Latin's not too good, so I don't know how to say "Let Us Give Peace" in that dead language. But the thought is very much alive. This woman is one impeccable example of how, through giving, we in turn receive more than we could ever expect to sometimes.

This admirable woman, Nursemyra, rocks big time. I salute her. I thank the powers that be (otherwise known as DaddyPapersurfer and Penfold) that our paths crossed. I hope our paths cross even more one of these days, in the offline, 3-D kind of way. I would dearly love that.