Hope and so much to learn...

...from the forgiveness in one woman's heart and the soul of a nation more comitted to recovery than to revenge.

CNN tells of how Rwandans are rebuilding their nation and their lives in the wake of Hutu murder of nearly a million people, mostly Tutsis.

That a woman can find it in her heart to even attempt forgiveness for such horror gives me hope.

That a nation can understand that rebuilding is more important than attempting to right unimaginable wrongs that can never be made right gives me courage.

That a man who helped to perpetrate the horror can find it within him to stand and say to survivors, families of men, women, and children who were raped, beaten, clubbed to death, buried alive, "I did this. I am guilty. And I am sorry," gives me chills.

That a woman who suffers the pain of loss every day of her life can sit next to a man who suffers the pain of guilt every day of his, and weave baskets, and make a concious choice to practice forgiveness rather than perpetuate the cycle of death humbles me beyond measure.

If we took one tiny sliver of that courage and determination and applied to to the day-to-day minutia that we waste so much precious energy on...what might our world be?

I will try...now...today...

If Iphigenia Mukantabana can weave her baskets of peace alongside Jean-Bosco Bizimana, I will weave peace daily alongside those whose actions hurt me. If Jean-Bosco Bizimana can face his victims' families and own his actions, I will summon courage to own my actions and hope those I have harmed will choose to practice forgivness toward me.

The community basket we weave will be beautiful and strong enough to hold us all.