Oases! (the plural of oasis)

Good Afternoon All,

Jackson here.

I am so excited today! As excited today as I was feeling bummed and confused yesterday...
Yes, it's true. I was a total drag yesterday.

Let me explain. Yesterday, (Monday) I came into work really wanting to write about two things that caught my attention this weekend: the Sewage-to-drinking water piece in the Times, (which SuperForester Niki covered with her usual understanding and aplomb,) and the war Russia started in Georgia.

So I sat down and tried to write, coming from a place of understanding and compassion, a post about poo in water and war, and you know what?

I couldn't do it.

I tried multiple times, but everything I wrote seemed way too reactionary and un-SuperForest.

I always try to see the positives in seemingly negative situations, but in both of those cases, I couldn't connect with positivity, and it dismayed me to the point where I just stopped trying to write and spent the rest of the day drawing.

This morning I woke up and I had the answer to the questions I'd been wrestling with.

Team SuperForest.

Yesterday I felt alone and isolated trying to reconcile the madness of human behavior with my own moral compass. Well, that's always going to be a losing battle.

Wars will be waged, water will be pooped in. I cannot fight that.

Yesterday I was trying to fight. Trying to figure out a counter-offensive against aggression and waste.

This morning, the fight was out of me, and I realized that what I had been thinking the entire time I was trying to write my "War is a waste and sewage in water an even bigger waste" post was:

I'm so very glad I have Team SuperForest!

This morning I realized that if you want Peace, all you can do is be peaceful. You can be an oasis of Peace. (Yes, I'm going to capitalize it. It deserves capitalization.)

I thought about SuperForest as a little oasis of Peace. A garden that fellow travelers have wandered upon, found its waters sweet, cool, and refreshing, and paused in their journeys to give thanks for all the gifts received.

I thought about Team SuperForest. Niki, Taylor, Jaell, Julius, and April. Incredible people all over this wonderful planet, working hard to share the inspiration and excitement they feel.

I thought about this little oasis that we'd all created together, about how words of Peace drew them together in the first place, about the people that will find this site and read these words, and I remembered what Peace is...

That Team SuperForest and this site exist brings me great hope and great pleasure.

For Peace is hopeful, and Peace is a pleasure.

Sharing, inspiring, and communicating are very peaceful acts. Harder to brand than War, but more rewarding in the long run. Better for the well being of the psyche. Better for sweet dreams and deep sleep.

We here at SuperForest pledge to support Peace with all means available. We will use our hearts and minds to share and communicate Peace. In the hopes of a brighter present, and a far more compassionate tomorrow.

Thank you to all the members of Team SuperForest.
To Niki, Taylor, Jaell, Julius, and April. Thank you with all my heart. You are the best and brightest part of every day.

Thank you to all who contribute, comment on, and share with this site. SuperForesters Alex, Andrew, Jon, Chucka Stone, PJ, et al. You know who you are, and your contribution is felt and much appreciated.

And thank you to you at home reading these words.

The only way to find Peace is to be Peace.

With great Love and respect to All.

Be excellent to each other.

-Jackson and Team SuperForest