Building a Foundation of Unity

In an age where the newest military invention is an automated robot that does all the shooting, I've raised three sons who think primarily in peaceful, 'relationship building' terms. They surely did the usual guy-stuff growing up, with rough-house tumbling and competition games on the computer, with lots of hoots and howls. I still recall the intensity and noise of those years - sitting in the quiet of my closet for a few moments, my daughter tells me, when the din inside of my house became too much! Mothers, if they only knew that things will change for the better as our children grow up.

As they got older, my boys - all my children, really - came to understand that the greatest challenges facing people today involve extending respect towards others, and appreciating cultural differences. In other words, building a foundation of love and unity that brings about well-being for the entire fabric of humanity. The Baha'i writings admonish, "Nothing save world unity can release the vast productive energies at the disposal of the modern mind; nothing else can replace the racial idealisms which now, having served their day, become causes of conflict rather than sources of agreement; nothing short of this ultimate will stay the trends toward anarchy eating at the heart of the body politic in every organized nation. The swift, turbulent current of change runs too deep for any dam of compromise to restrain its power and effect some status of stability or repose behind which the human spirit may slumber beyond alarm."

So, it was with real pleasure that our family congratulated Taraz on his new job at the 'One Heart Cafe', an establishment that fosters unity and positive regard for people of all religious persuasions and paths. The owner, Lamont, had his grand opening for the second of his two establishments the other night, and our family supported it with a visit to the newest coffee house, where Taraz will now be working. Taraz loves the people-contact, and Lamont encouraged his barista servers to mingle, sit down and visit with the friends who frequent the cafe. This not only makes for pleasant conversation, but it promotes relationships among people who do business or work in the area.
This newest "One Heart Cafe" is in the old historical district of Tacoma, a rejuvenated section of our city. Many trendy new clubs, businesses, cinemas and art galleries line the streets near the cafe. Antique stores line a nearby street.
This is The Grand Cinema, one of the oldest movie houses in Tacoma. It features foreign films, art films, and controversial films, like "Sicko". "In The Shadow of the Moon" is one of the upcoming films One of my favorite Swedish films, "Under The Sun" was featured here, as was "The Weeping Camel".

We hung around the back lounge area while Taraz waited on customers. Here, Megan, Taraz and George have a moment together. Megan's brother, Tracy, brought several friends. They were in town for the weekend. We all visited with Taraz's boss, with some of his co-workers, and wished Taraz the best as he hunkered down to finish out his evening shift. As we got ready to leave, I noticed that a flyer on "The Secret" by Christian D. Larson was laying on a counter by the front door. I read over many of the criteria that he advocates, one of which is "To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best."