With the dark sky of night, day still sleeps… as if the pillow is pulled over her head. The songbirds stirring deep in the woods begin to chatter. Attempts to urge dawn to appear, seem to be in vain; the volume from the sweet morning tunes begins to escalate. No longer a few solo songs but an orchestra cheering the sun to rise from her slumber.
As I lay in bed listening to nature’s alarm clock, I make a break from the horizontal, bypass the coffee, and head to the woods. We’re weeks into the pandemic and many others have found respite in the park, my pre-pandemic place of solitude.
With patience wearing a bit thin… over the pandemic and a desire to see signs of spring on the trees, I head to the trees. Will they have leafed out yet? My impatience percolates… the trees have been asleep long enough, it’s time for something new.
As I turn the corner to greet the trees…
quiet,
stillness,
nothing.
No leaves.
Not yet.
It’s not time.
I stand before the trees, feeling so many emotions related to life and the pandemic.
I pause. My mood shifts…
The trees will bloom when they are ready…
the change I’ve been seeking is on the surface… the work occurring below the surface, inside the roots, the trunk, the limbs and tips of the tree is ongoing.
A cloud passes by…
the colors shift in the sky.
in constant motion, putting on a show, appeasing my need for the tangible and visible signs of change.
My gaze returns to the trees… in due time they say.
The real work is below the surface.
we must dig deep for real change to occur.
From the songbirds, to the leaves on the trees, to the building of a cloudy storm…
it all takes time.
Peace tip #7
Finding peace in place… connecting with one’s feelings, emotions, and moods.
Today, you’ll want a piece of paper, a journal (optional), some colored pencils, crayons, markers, or paints. Draw five 1-inch (2.54 cm) squares spaced “evenly” across the width of the paper.
You are creating a “mood panel.” This can reflect your own personal mood or the colors you observe around you, or even colors of a place that brings you peace.
Use a different color and fill in each square.
Underneath each square, in 1-2 words, name the “mood” or “place.”
Some people use this technique daily, weekly, or whenever the “mood” strikes them. I’ve enjoyed using this strategy in my own personal journal especially, when I just don’t know what to write, doodle or paint.
Another strategy… you can knit yourself a record of your emotions. As many of you know, I’m a big fan of the Tempestry Project and the work they do to visualize climate data in a knitted way. This year, they too have been digging deep and are working on creating their own domestically (US) sourced and produced yarn. They’ve created a new kit, the “Emotion kit.” It’s a personal knitted journal of your own emotions… so if you’d rather keep a record of how you’re feeling with yarn, this might be just your thing. Because they are developing their new yarn, the kits are available for pre-order.
Give-away
The Tempestry Project has graciously offered one Emotion kit as a give-away for Project Peace 2020. All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment in response to today’s blog post. I’ll draw a winner on Wednesday evening and announce on Thursday (Day 10). Thank you Emily and team!
