GRAND Magazine - May/June 2017 - 37

grandsrising

Grandmothers are revered keepers of the peace

BY LYNN HERITAGE

the Peace Day gathering. We get heart-smiles just watching the "peace"
bubbles make their way throughout the park.

We realize we can no longer
promote peace by sitting
in our rocking chairs.

fter reading an article about Grandmothers for Peace
International, I felt called to create a chapter here in
Wilmington, NC. That was ten years ago and we are still
going strong. We are very concerned about the issues of the
world. We believe that peace begins at home, and with that in
mind, we are reaching out to our community.
For the past ten years, we have observed International Day of
Peace with a gathering at Hugh MacRae Park. It's a quiet gathering
of people throughout the community who are committed to creating peace in our everyday lives. We decorate the trees with strings of
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MAY JUNE 2017

peace drawings made by children in the community. Local musicians
join us in singing and drumming of peace.
We have a great time marching behind our GFP banner in the MLK
parade every year. Cold as the weather might be, we are warmed by
the loving response from all the spectators.
We participate in both the Earth Day Celebration and the Black Men
Running event. At these events, we have a table filled with construction
paper, markers and bubbles. We invite the children to come to our table
and make peace flags and award them with bubbles. Some of their artwork is incredibly profound in so many ways and proudly displayed at

Our ongoing commitments include: First Book project...a program
that provides books to Title 3 first and second graders throughout the
community, YWCA quarterly peace potluck dinners, and the annual
YWCA Stand Against Racism event.
Our mission statement includes these words: "Grandmothers are
revered as 'keepers of the peace,' but we realize that we can no longer
promote peace by sitting in our rocking chairs." We believe that if we
are to protect the rights of our grandchildren, we must stand up for
the rights of all human beings.
Sometimes, I get very tired and discouraged about the human
conditions on our planet. But, at the end of the day, I really do believe
that the majority of human beings want to live in a peaceful environment. That is the little ripple that propels me to try to create just a little
bit of peace right here in our community. A ripple here, ripple there.
Who knows where the peace ripples may lead?

Lynn Heritage is a grandma, a mom, a wife, a sister,
a retiree and a proud member of Grandmothers
For Peace. She lives in Carolina Beach, NC with her
husband, Dave, and her dog, Sadie. Lynn says, "I love
having the luxury of time to involve myself with issues
that speak to my heart."

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - May/June 2017