The Power of One: Israel and Iran – A Love Story?

Posted on February 11, 2013 by zoeweil

In previous posts I’ve written about the capacity we now have to collaborate and innovate with people across borders to solve problems. Take a look at the above TEDx talk, “Israel and Iran: A Love Story?” I love how one Israeli man’s ideas have captured the imagination of so many.

Will this graphic designer’s idea lead to peace in the Middle East? I don’t know, but it’s possible. And from this, what may come?

~ Zoe

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDxConejo talk: “Solutionaries”
My TEDxDirigo talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“
My TEDxYouth@BFS “Educating for Freedom”

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The Best Time of Day is Right Now

Posted on February 4, 2013 by zoeweil
 Ruby & Herschel snuggle on the bed.
Image copyright Zoe Weil.

Every night when I climb into bed, our dogs and cat are already there or quickly join me. Elsie snuggles up on the pillows; Hershel scratches and chews on the blanket (naughty dog!), excited that we’re all together to turn in after another good day, and Ruby splays herself out, taking up as much room as possible (sigh). Sir Simon, our cat, walks up to my head and meows, asking me to lift up the covers so he can climb under them for about 10 minutes before he scoots out to sleep on the foot of the bed. I feel such a sense of joy each night when I get into bed. And I think to myself, “This is the best part of every day.”

Then I wake up, and as I’m coming to consciousness – awake but not yet mobile – Elsie immediately either jumps on the bed, or if she’s spent the whole night with us, scoots up so that her face is inches from mine. She stares into my eyes and puts a paw on my arm as if to say, “Good morning.” And good it is, waking up to Elsie, as well as to the curled up fluffball Hershel and our sprawled out silky Ruby. And I think to myself, “This is the best part of every day.”

As I reflect upon these thoughts, I realize that the best time of the day is the one right now, if only I can just live with as much appreciation, love, and gratitude as I do each morning and night.

~ Zoe

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDxConejo talk: “Solutionaries”
My TEDxDirigo talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“
My TEDxYouth@BFS “Educating for Freedom”

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If This Isn’t Dog Love, What Is?

Posted on January 3, 2013 by zoeweil
Image copyright Edwin Barkdoll.

Recently my husband, Edwin, and I took our three dogs, Ruby, Elsie, and Hershel, for a walk along a beautiful stream near our home in Maine. At the end of the trail we discovered a new path that crossed the water and continued along the other side. We decided to come back on this new trail, but when the trail re-crossed the stream, the rocks that provided the stepping stones were icy and slick, and I didn’t want to risk slipping into the water. But Edwin, Ruby, and Hershel had no problem, and they crossed over.

Elsie – whom we think has border collie in her – wasn’t happy at all. She stayed with me but was constantly looking for a good place for us to cross, too. She’d look at me, start crossing, and if I didn’t follow, she’d return to me. At one point she must have thought she’d found the perfect spot for both of us, so she crossed; but when I couldn’t make it and continued on the other side of the stream, she became distraught. She cried out repeatedly with her high-pitched yelps, so agitated and upset, and finally returned to me, even though it meant leaving the pack and recrossing the stream. I never did make it across the stream, so Elsie just stayed by my side until we found our way back to the car from the other side and met up with everyone else. She was clearly happy when we were all back together.

I’ve been reflecting on Elsie’s behavior. If she does have border collie in her as we suspect, then generations of breeding have gone into her passion for keeping a “herd” together. But whether this is behavior bred into her or not, her emotions are real and deeply felt. She cannot stand to have us apart. But neither will she leave my side. She is the most loving, devoted dog. She hugs me. Literally. And when she does, she throws her head back in bliss and abandon (see photo). If this isn’t love, what is?

~ Zoe

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDxConejo talk: “Solutionaries”
My TEDxDirigo talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“
My TEDxYouth@BFS “Educating for Freedom”

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Why We Need Humane Education: We Protect What We Love

Posted on July 23, 2012 by zoeweil
Image copyright Institute for Humane Education

During a recent presentation to students from the University of Richmond, I led a Wonder Walk, an outdoor activity in which people lead each other, in pairs, on an experience to awaken the senses. They take turns bringing their partner – whose eyes are closed – on a walk in a beautiful outdoor setting.

Gently guiding them, they tap their temple to invite them to open their eyes to see something they’ve noticed and want to share; touch their nose after leading them to something to smell; their ear to pay attention to a sound; their lips to invite them to taste something (such as a sprig of wild mint or a blueberry); and place their hands on objects to touch (in my case, my fingers were placed on the fuzzy, kitten-like seedpods of a lupine flower). What usually happens when people experience the Wonder Walk is that they find themselves deeply connecting with the natural world. I often describe this as “falling in love” with nature.

After sharing the Wonder Walk with them, I told the students that my reason for doing it with people is that I believe that we protect and care for what we love. While intellectual commitments to justice are motivation enough for some to work to preserve the natural world, change their destructive habits, and commit to being changemakers for justice and sustainability, for most of us it is our hearts that are the big motivators. We are willing to do much more on behalf of that which we love. And if we love the natural world and the other species with whom we share it, we may be willing to do much more than if we don’t.

Within hours of leading this activity, I read this quote from Baba Dioum in Sailesh Rao’s book, Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of Butterflies:

“In the end, we conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We understand only what we are taught.”

If ever there was a quote that reinforced my belief in the importance of humane education and providing people with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to be conscientious choicemakers and engaged changemakers, it is this.

~ Zoe

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDxConejo talk: “Solutionaries”
My TEDxDirigo talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Opening Our Eyes to the Mystery of Nature

Posted on July 5, 2012 by zoeweil

A few nights ago, my husband and I were walking our dogs at dusk. When we walked by our pond, some of the pond insects were skittering and swimming on the surface of the water, creating pathways and patterns on the otherwise smooth surface. Then our dog barked. My husband immediately called me over to see what had happened and used his phone to videotape something neither of us had seen before.

At each bark, the insects – many more than were otherwise visible when it was quiet – responded with a sudden jerk. Take a look:

We have lived in our home for years, yet we have never seen this. Who knew that insects responded to sound in such a way? There is so much we don’t see, don’t notice, don’t pay attention to – a reminder that there is mystery all around us, and there are always new and amazing wonders to discover in the natural world.

So go out and observe. Sit quietly for some time each day and watch a small window of nature, a square foot is plenty. Just pay attention. Our beautiful planet is amazing. And when we notice and truly appreciate nature, there is little we won’t do to protect it.

Zoe

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDxConejo talk: “Solutionaries”
My TEDxDirigo talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Freedom & Love: The Beagle Freedom Project

Posted on December 26, 2011 by zoeweil

For my blog post today, I wanted to share this beautiful video of freedom and love. Enjoy.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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We Will Protect Who and What We Love

Posted on October 26, 2011 by zoeweil

One of the core elements of humane education is fostering reverence, appreciation, and wonder. Since we are inclined to care for and protect who and what we love, “falling in love” with the natural world and experiencing love toward other people and animals is a key ingredient for creating a peaceful, healthy and just world.

With all the media that stirs our anger, frustration, and hatred, it’s critical to find those places that stir our awe and wonder. This Facebook page, Our Beautiful World and Universe, is worth a “like” to feed that part of us that spurs our efforts to make a difference and protect our gorgeous planet and the myriad species who share it with us.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em or… Transformation at Fifty

Posted on July 25, 2011 by zoeweil

My son is about to turn eighteen. For his eighteenth birthday he plans to get a tattoo. Although I like the image he’s chosen – of a rock climber silhouetted against a gorgeous setting sun – I don’t think getting a tattoo at eighteen is wise. I’ve told him so in every possible way. I’ve provided every reason I can think of to wait until he’s older. To no avail. All I’ve created is friction between us.

He was studying Spanish and living with a family in Uruguay for five weeks earlier this summer, and while he was gone, I had a change of heart. Others helped me to realize that getting a tattoo, especially of an image that my son (who’s been rock climbing since he was five) has loved for almost two years now, is a form of self-expression. While it’s true that some may judge him negatively because of it, I cannot know whether there might be others who judge him positively.

So I let go of my antipathy toward this inevitability, and I told my husband, and he said…

“Maybe I’ll get a tattoo.”

You would have to know my husband to know how shocking this comment was; but my response to him was even more shocking, even to me:

“Maybe I will, too.”

Maybe I will too?! I have always said that I would never get a tattoo. I’ve never much liked them; I don’t like pain, and I’m always changing, so I can’t imagine ever wanting a permanent mark on my body. I couldn’t believe I said this. It made no sense.

And then, as the days went on I found myself realizing that I would do this strange thing, so unlike me, so tremendously out of character.

When we next Skyped our son in Uruguay, I told him about my change of heart about his tattoo, and he said, “So you want me to get it?” I responded that I didn’t want him to get it, but that I no longer felt he shouldn’t, and that I accepted his getting it if he wanted to. And then my husband said that we were planning to get tattoos on his birthday, too, and he was so psyched to have his parents join him during this odd family bonding rite of passage for his eighteenth birthday.

I’m planning on getting a luna moth tattoo. The symbolism works for someone who believes she will always be changing, because nothing represents the capacity for transformation to me more than a caterpillar spinning a cocoon, dissolving into genetic goo, and then changing into a completely different being (one who flies!) out of the same DNA. Plus luna moths only live for a week, reminding me that all we have is the present moment. Life is fleeting. Make it beautiful and meaningful each day and don’t worry about what’s ahead that we have no control over. Plus, if ever there was a constant in my life it’s my love of animals. That’s not changing, so an animal tattoo is fitting.

And if nothing else, this tattoo is a reminder that even at 50, I can transform from a person who disliked tattoos and would have bet money I’d never, ever, EVER get one, into someone who is planning to go under the proverbial needle in a couple of weeks.

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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The Day We Buried Grif

Posted on July 11, 2011 by zoeweil

We buried our beloved dog, Griffin, Sunday, July 10, and I wrote this poem in his honor for my blog post today.

The Day We Buried Grif
by Zoe Weil

We buried our dog this morning
In heavy clay soil.
He was light on the earth
a tiny three-legged boy
still so soft,
though no longer fierce.

We remembered him aloud,
sharing stories,
His love affair with our big three-legged shepherd;
our son’s biggest scar
when he tried to prevent him from biting friends
who’d stopped by and were chased back
to their car
by pugilistic Grif.

He likes that scar.
He loved that dog.
Whom he’d rescued at two and a half
Saying in no uncertain terms to his reluctant parents,
“We HAVE to adopt him,”
and we did.

Fifteen plus years together;
our son’s whole childhood,
the photos in the albums like proof,
one after another:
Griffin in his arms;
Griffin and he floating on a raft;
Griffin in his lap;
Griffin on his bed.
Always with Griffin,
the dog he saved.

Grif is in the earth beside Sophie, next to Maia,
flanked by Uba, Buddha, Pere, and Mish,
marking the inexorable passage of time,
marking years of love,
of joyous puppy and kittenhood,
and the solid decade each of companionship and devotion,
and then arthritis and kidney failure and decline
and their inevitable deaths.

Meanwhile, three others wait in the house,
banished from this burial.
Elsie, two;
Ruby, eight;
Sir Simon, thirteen.
The cycle continues.
Loving them a bit more tenderly today;
The day we buried Grif.

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A Model of Courageous Parenting: Ducks, Dogs, and a Walk on the Beach at Sunset

Posted on June 29, 2011 by zoeweil

The night before solstice, I walked my dogs, Ruby and Elsie, down to the shore just before sunset. A seal was basking in the last rays of the day on a rock about 100 feet off the shore. A loon cried. Sea gulls soared above us, calling. The dogs and I walked along the shore past the few houses to the long stretch of undeveloped coast, when suddenly a Mallard sprung out in front of us, walk-limping, flapping what appeared to be useless wings, apparently struggling and in great distress. I quickly got Ruby and Elsie on lead so that they couldn’t harm her, as I pondered what to do. My husband is a veterinarian, so I knew I could get the duck medical care quickly if I could catch her. But within moments, I realized what was really going on. From where the duck had first emerged, I heard little chirps.

I’ve heard of mother birds pretending to be injured and flapping around on the ground to draw predators away from their young, but I don’t recall ever seeing this before. And with such drama and commitment, too. This Mallard flapped and limped and struggled for a nearly a quarter of a mile, staying just ahead of us as we dutifully followed (well, that’s the direction we were headed anyway). When finally she felt we were far enough away, she flew to the ocean, keeping an eye on us on the whole time.

What a clever, brave, and good mom she was. She fooled the dogs, who never thought to investigate those duckling chirps. Why do so many of us humans doubt that other species can love their young as we do; can use intrigue and manipulation like the best of us; can feel and love and suffer?

For a humane world for all beings,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

Like my blog? Please share it with others, comment, and/or subscribe to the RSS feed.

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