Vera May Shirley, Presente

I'm thinking today especially about Vera May Shirley, who was holding her first newborn son on August 6, 1945 when she heard the news about the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. She later named that moment as the beginning of her journey to pacifism, as she imagined the horror of mothers like her holding their children in Japan. She knew they were not her enemies. Vera became active in many peacemaking efforts over the years, including organizing a chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Austin, where I met her. She co-founded Sustainable Options for Youth in 1997, and her gentle, perceptive, generous spirit attracted me and others to the group that continues in her memory.