LetLoveMoveUs LetLoveMoveUs TowardaNew TowardaNew GroundofBeing GroundofBeing

e used to wonder where war lived, what it was that made it so vile. And now we realize that we know where it lives, that it is inside ourselves.”

-Albert Camus (Philosopher, writer, 1913–1960, France)

These words by Albert Camus force me to bear witness to the elements of war anger, aggression, envy, and violence not as distant forces, but as aches born within me, spilling outward to captivate and consume the world

I don’t feel equipped or even eligible to write about war and peace How could I, when I haven’t lived through the horrors wars inflict?

What I have been is a distant observer, trying to make sense vicariously of what’s happening

Still, I know I don’t come close to truly feeling what it’s like- to live in constant terror, unsure whether you or your loved ones might die the next moment from an imminent bombing

What I write may not change the trajectory of a war. In fact, it might paint me as someone helpless and fearful someone who resorts to writing without being proactive.

Someone who lacks the experiential context to fully articulate what war means.

But I do know this:

The terrors of war narrow our apertures of love and belonging They deepen the divides us versus them They harden our hearts, inflame our guts, make us convulse with fear - which gives rise to an enemy

Anyone who has faced the war within the internal battles of anger, fear, envy, or despair knows how destructive these forces can be Not only to oneself, but to everyone within emotional proximity

Aren’t the wars that bring down lives and nations just mammoth projections of the unresolved trauma we carry inside? The faces of our collective aggression, hatred, greed, and numbness?

There are always arguments for why war and retaliation might seem necessary But as George Saunders reminds us, war is ultimately this: “Massacre and screaming and confusion and blood and death.”

How can ripples of such collective suffering remain stagnant? They can only cascade through the world harming everything in their path We can’t hurt one part of the world without injuring all of it

Where does one find respite until geopolitical tensions ease? Where is peace when bullets are chasing bodies and death looms in the hearts of those suffering wars closely?

In times like these, love and compassion seem like luxuries, forbidden emotions when people’s worlds are exploding, turning to ash. Our hope and faith in our shared humanity begin to quiver.

But something in us is resilient and looks in the direction of light.

Amidst the conflicts and chaos, I’m reminded of Lord Buddha’s half smile, which makes me want to believe that even in a world gripped by fear, we can carry the vision of a future that sings the hymns of universal compassion and peace That transformation is possible, and it begins with me To open my heart to love and keep freeing my mind of vengeance, hatred and aggression

In her own words, Dr. Pallavi Dongare is a Consultant Pediatrician by profession - I consider myself an accidental poet or writer which still I am unsure about!