Every story has a beginning and an ending. But in between these two important parts is the “plot” or the “heart of the story” that unfolds and reveals the characters, the roles they play and their happy or tragic outcome, depending on their behavior. Can we not say the same about Life? Storytelling is, after all, simply reflections of the way we live.

Once again the Christmas season is upon us and many of us find ourselves on shopping and advertising overload! Thanksgiving dinner was still warm on our tables when the ever-present media was displaying all of the “must have things” to make our Christmas “jolly and bright”.

Likewise this year in the United States “black Friday” really lived up to its name. It was disturbing to see the thousands of Christmas shoppers camped out in store parking lots for several days in order to take advantage of shopping discounts. And what can one say about the fighting, pushing and shoving, the use of pepper spray, and even shootings … in the name of Christmas!

In his latest book «Collapse» author Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at the University of California in Los Angeles, took a look at the outstanding civilizations that collapsed abruptly after several centuries of existence. According to the author, five factors could be involved, without all five being necessarily present: environmental damages inflicted by the population, climatic changes, aggression from enemies, the loss of friendly commercial trading partners and the political, economical and social reactions to these changes. The most frequent and indisputable factor is the irreversible damage caused to the environment.

The simple apple is often underestimated for its true worth on this planet. When it comes to the consideration we give apples, they tend to be slightly disregarded, given they are so commonly seen on store shelves and as a food staple. We certainly wouldn't think of awarding the apple the “Champion of Fruits" award. But then again, maybe we should take a second look. The Humble Apple

This small fruit accounts for 50% of all the deciduous tree crops on the entire planet! In Canada alone, approximately one million pounds are produced annually, and have been for the last 15 years. Yet we are not among the world’s biggest producers. Five Canadian provinces account for most of our apple production. Ontario delivers about half of the country's entire harvest. Just to give you an example, the weight of our apple produce is equivalent to five space shuttles or one fully loaded, new jumbo Boeing 747 jet.

One day in my younger years, when I felt lost and overwhelmed by life’s little problems, I went to visit a wise old lady. She told me that I should completely change my life in order to cope with my crisis. But how could I manage this? I didn’t have two pennies to rub together and saw no way out. The wise lady said: “Devote yourself to a flower every day. Just one bloom a day will help you to rearrange your life.”

So I went home and found some daisies in the meadow behind our house. I sat down and looked at them. They seemed to smile and warmed my heart. I was relieved for a while. But suddenly my problems began to invade my thoughts. How could these lovely little daisies help me to overcome my feelings of despair? I felt depressed again.

Many of us have listened to the words and lyrics to the famous song “Let it be” by Paul McCartney. Over the years other artists have also performed their own rendition of this musical master piece because its popularity has never diminished. It is timeless and relevant to all generations. But why is this song so enduring while others simply get lost in the immense ebb and flow of pop culture?

I think the reason for this is because it conveys a simple yet very true fact of life. How often do we make rash decisions in the heat of the moment only to regret them later? Or perhaps we seek the answer to a problem but let it overwhelm us and then fall into the pit of despair with no solution in sight. Sometimes we also utter unkind words that hurt the ones we love only because we reacted too quickly to a difficult situation.

Should Meat Be Eaten Or Not?

Meat consumption is steadily increasing. From 20 Kg per person in 1850, it rose to 40 Kg in 1900, then 60 Kg in 1950 and up to 110 Kg in 1996. According to vegetarians meat is responsible for numerous ailments and should definitely be banned from our diet. What are the reasons behind this? Are these reasons enough to define the problem?

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is a diet based on plant products: vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. It completely excludes animal flesh such as meat, processed meats, fish, shellfish, and seafood. But it allows animal products that do not contain flesh: eggs and milk products (milk, cheese, yogurt,)

You probably have sensed when looking in the mirror there is more to you than your visible physical body; there is a living sentient being that is you and quite distinct from your body, an energy, enveloped in your body. You may be quite conscious of the fact that your being or essence is physically intangible and not limited to the physical dimensions of space or time. For example, you may be sitting in a meeting room or classroom and yet be miles away from the present, or perhaps you’ve sensed yourself in a distant past or even in the future, while firmly encased in your present body. That essence in you that is intangible and unlimited by space and time is what we call spirit.

Human beings have always referred to our blue planet as “Mother Earth”. This title conjures up images of unconditional love, care giving, support, nourishment, encouragement and the list goes on. Is this not what we all intuitively feel that a mother should represent to us? Through hearth and home, a mother offers us our first nourishment, she cradles our first anxiety, she takes care of our first needs and whispers her unconditional love in our ears and warms our hearts. No wonder we refer to our terrestrial home as Mother Earth!