Flower Power, Make Love Not War

Smile. God Loves You. I often scribbled those words in my diary way back in the early seventies when I was in High School. I also picked up Flower Power, a slogan likely coined by Alan Ginsberg in 1965. It referred the hippie notion of ““make love not war,” and the idea that love and nonviolence, such as the growing of flowers, was a better way to heal the world than continued focus on capitalism and wars. I often ended my diary entry with a smiley face and a flower on top of the hat.

The idea of using flowers to express a movement gets at the heart of hippie identity. As a teen, the flower power drawings were everywhere. Flowers are so pretty and no wonder I always adorn my home with flowers. The simplicity of the flower, its ties to the earth and natural origin, and its beauty were all things this counterculture movement wanted to remain close to. In the end, there’s a beauty and grace to the flower power movement, even though it ultimately did end badly for more than a few people. Like many movements which may have many good intentions, certain aspects, like an emphasis on drug use, contributed to its destruction. Like any flower, the flower power movement grew for a time in the mid to late 1960s, and then withered sadly by the early 1970s.

Flower Power will always ring true in my heart. And I want to shower you with Flower Power.

Make love, not war.
Most often demands of life may sometimes get in the way of most couples. Being intimate, whether it’s a quick hug, holding hands, a quick massage on the shoulder, a snuggle on the couch, or a night of passion, needs to be scheduled into every day. Without fail, I practice intimacy with my romantic husband (well, except when he is goes inside his bat cave) and children every day.

Give peace a chance.
Pick your battles carefully. Sure, that latest gossip can be so annoying. Some may think that by exposing others, they themselves appear more righteous. Remember. when YOU point a finger, there are three fingers pointing back at you. Blowing out someone’s candle does not make yours shine brighter. But is that gossip worth an armed conflict? Only you can make that decision. Maybe conceding the battle will win the war in the long run.

Flower power!
Never underestimate the importance of a heart-felt apology, with or without flowers. If you acted like an idiot, admit it. The words ““I’m sorry” heal and bridge the gap. There are times we act in ways that are less than comfortable. But we don’t have to say ““I’m sorry” if we didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t have to apologize for taking care of myself, dealing with feelings, setting my boundaries , having fun or getting healthy.

Indeed there is beauty in grace in Flower Power. It’s healing.