Day 15... organize

What do you call a fish without an eye?

A fssssshhhhhhhhh……

Get it? A fish without an eye? The letter “I.” Fsh.

When I heard this riddle, I couldn’t stop laughing… nor could the person telling me the joke. Perhaps we were just that tired; fatigue and exhaustion can have that effect.

Or perhaps it was my strong appreciation, respect, and deep gratitude for having that riddle-teller in my life.

We laughed… and then she proceeded to tell me more silly riddles about food and animals.

And as we parted ways at the end of the day, I realized just how profound this little joke is… it’s similar to the saying “there is no I in teamwork.” Yet different…

The no “I” in teamwork statement can have negative connotations… because of how it is said. Typically it’s intended to bring someone back into conformity with a group; yet that “I” person may have strengths as a leader, work well independently, or maybe hasn’t had an opportunity to learn how to work effectively with others.

But this cute fish riddle… has a more positive tone. The fish isn’t whole without the “I.” The word isn’t complete. We need all the individual letters… just like all the individual people add up… to make a family, society, nation, and global community.

I recently saw this image of fish and found the message quite meaningful…particularly as a person who enjoys working independently. Sometimes, I need a reminder that the collective is powerful.

Walking the path of peace alone can feel daunting, isolating, and overwhelming… As a person who identifies as a seeker of solitude and finds bliss when walking solo in the woods or along the water’s edge it is a good reminder there is a need to also “organize.”

Fish as sustenance…

Fish as a symbol of the power of the collective…

Fish as a vital link in the Earth’s ecosystem…

Peace nugget #15

Today marks the beginning of the third and final week of Project Peace 2023. Someone asked me yesterday, “what comes after the 21 days?” I replied, “good question.”

Take a moment today to reflect on where we’ve been and what you might do to continue incorporating peace into your daily life… for self, others, and the Earth.

Share your thoughts in the comments…

Other

If you want to get involved with knitting a gansey herring for the SHOAL/CLAITH project, you can find a free pattern and more information here.

Also, Dotty from the Net Loft in Cordova, AK continues to organize the Copper River Delta Birds by Hand project. Knit a bird and send it to Dotty (details in the link provided). She has many knitted “peace” birds made by Project Peace participants. I had a chance to view the exhibit in Cordova several years ago and it was beyond moving and inspiring…

Day 14... Nourish

Nourish (verb): 1. provide with the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition; 2. keep (a feeling or belief) in one's mind, typically for a long time.

Synonyms: sustain, cherish, nurture, foster, promote

Prairiewoods, Hiawatha, IA

And now, in the context of peace…

nourish: to provide substances needed for peace; or to maintain a commitment to peacebuilding for the long haul.

How can we nourish ourselves for the duration? Peace asks us to make these choices each day… with each beat of our heart, stitch by stitch, and step by step.

“Substances” that sustain us on the path of peace.

Food, creative acts, mindful movement, music, hydration, time with nature, relationships,

and rest … all ways to nourish.

A potluck charcuterie board, Prairie Horizons Farm, MN

Peace nugget #14

Certain types of music can fill me up… the richness of an orchestra,“where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” the unison of the strings, the vibration of sound achieved with a Gregorian chant, or a connection to the here of far, far away with the playfulness of a fiddle.

Let’s nourish our peace-travelling beings with a bit of music today. I’ve selected a few of my favorites and provided you with links. There will be ads so if that’s distracting, try searching for these artists on your preferred way to stream music.

• George Winston: December

• Max Richter in Concert: Reimagining Vivaldi

• Ólafur Arnalds, Live at Sydney Opera House

• Pentatonix, The Sound of Silence

• Sara Thomsen, Rhapsody of Rest (scroll down to find this song; no ads)

  What music nourishes you?

  How can music inspire peace in the world?

Breckon Sands, Yell, Shetland. Summer 2023

Other

What an amazing collection of “peace statements” from yesterday’s post. If you have time to read through the comments, I would highly recommend it. Inspiring, moving, heart-felt... and I would add, a few tears were shed… so much emotion.

Thank you for embracing the “manifest” post with authenticity. If the thought of writing a poem was just too much too tackle, try writing a sentence, or a few words that speak to you. Maybe today, while listening to some music you might find a few words.

And a huge thank you for the comments… you are creating a community when you post a comment and that is a key ingredient to peacebuilding. Plus, the comments/community provides sustenance so that I continue on this path.

Day 13... manifest

Manifest (verb)… to show something clearly, through signs or actions; to make something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking that it will happen. (Cambridge dictionary)

Manifest peace…

How can I bring forth peace, walk with peace, in peace, for peace… today… here?

Earlier this year, I was inspired by a poem written by Christine Valters Paintner titled “I want to be the kind of woman” who was deeply moved by a poem of the same name written by Jenni Fagan. After listening to Christine recite her own version, I too, felt a need to do the same.

I want to be the kind of woman…

(after Jenni Fagan; after Christine Valters Paintner)

who plants a garden

to nourish self, others, and the Earth

who listens for the whispers of “yes,” peace, and self-compassion

whether they come in the turbulent gales of autumn

or the stillness of a hot, sticky summer night

a woman who lays down on the Earth

in all seasons and places, to be one with

the energy of the ground beneath her

gazing at the vast cosmos in splendor

who moves about with ease

and cares not what others say to her

for their motivations are their own…

and no longer for her to carry

to know the plants by name

and how we might be allies.

to soar with the owls at dusk and dawn

and dance with the coyotes late

into the woodland night…

the kind of woman who can surrender

to the mystery,

accept the not knowing,

release past hurts

and love to the moon and back again…

to lead with her heart

radiate kindness to all beings

be open to possibilities

and authentically embrace

“hello to here.”

Some days this woman is me… some times I need a reminder… and then there are those days when I need to recite this over and over to put me on the path again…

What is within our reach to manifest right relationships with self, others, and the Earth ?

Peace nugget #13

Yesterday you began writing statements or mantras pertaining to peace; phrases that can be used to “manifest” peace. Today, take some time to listen and/or read the poem by Christine Valters Paintner and then write down some thoughts. As Christine always says, “what shimmers for you?”

Ask yourself “What kind of peace person do I want to be?”

And if I might make a wee suggestion, jot down some of your thoughts… perhaps just a few words, phrases, or a poem. Maybe the title of the collection of your words might be “I want to be the kind of peace woman (or man or any other word that suits you).” We will be applying these statements in an activity at the end of our 21 day journey.

Other

Each morning at 5 am, I sit at my kitchen counter to write this peace letter to all of you. And some days, it feels more awkward than others… it may seem trivial to suggest that we create mantras, write poems, light candles as ways to bring peace to our lives… when there are wars raging around the world. So, when I write these words to you each morning, it is not done with disregard for all that is happening in the world. These words are here because I am wholeheartedly committed mending what I can, where I can and that means sharing thoughts, actions, and ways of being that build a world where peace dwells and violence has no place. Surely, there must be a different way for all of us to live in the here and now… words, intentions, communication, relationships… all of these matter in our daily lives. Individuals make up families who live in communities which comprise “society,” and the collective is all of humanity. So, individuals actions are vital for “peace as the way.”

These peace letters are a call to action, to mend what needs fixing, and to manifest peace in ways that are within your reach.

Peace is a state of being… and as several of you have said, “peace is a verb”… it is also the doing.

with each beat of the heart, stitch with a thread, and step in the world… peace,

Christina

Day 12... the language of peace

“Language is the dwelling place of ideas that do not exist anywhere else. It is a prism through which to see the world.”

— Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

In an 8th grade English class, our teacher informed us we would have a “spelling bee” of sorts. Instead of words to spell, we would need to state a preposition; if you couldn’t think of one, you were out. The list of possible choices were long... perhaps 50 of them? I dutifully memorized the list and the handy template to “check” if the word was indeed a preposition.

“A preposition is a word that shows a relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word.”

— Javatpoint

Walls, Shetland, UK. July 2023

The rabbit jumps _____ the fence.

over, around, between, to, from, for, with…

Around the room we went, until one other child and I remained. Billy stated the last word on the list.

My cheeks turned bright red. What was I to say except “there are no words left on the list.”

The teacher in all her (inappropriate) wisdom said “well, the world is filled with more prepositions than the words on that page, use the template and think of one.”

???

I could not. I “lost” and Billy got the award.

Perhaps it was that day in the school that sparked an interest in grammar and language… it certainly left an impression in more ways than one.

I know, you are asking, “what does this have to do with peace?”

I walk ____ peace.

What happens to the meaning of this sentence when we change the preposition?

I walk for peace. I walk with peace. I walk towards peace. I walk against peace. I walk under peace. I walk over peace. I walk around peace. I walk between peace. I walk on peace.

Or let’s try this…

pathways to peace… pathways for peace… pathways of peace

“to” implies peace as a destination,

whereas “for” infers that peace is a cause,

yet “of” reflects a process, the here and now.

Just changing that one wee word shifts our relationship with peace. I find this fascinating… and while many think it’s an irrelevant detail, I think it speaks to the heart of the matter. Just one preposition allows our relationship to evolve from thinking of peace as a product/outcome to peace as a process. Just one word. And the funny thing is that the definition of a preposition includes the word “relationship.”

Shetland, UK

Peace nugget #12

Write a sentence using the “preposition” template. I used the example of walking ___ peace. Perhaps you’d like to use, I knit ____ peace.

Make this your personal peace statement. Now, insert many different prepositions and see how the meaning of the sentence changes. Find a version that reflects the relationship with peace that you’d like to “manifest.” You’ll be applying your very own personal peace mantra in the coming days.

And on this day of a new moon, symbolic of new beginnings and intentions, think of your personal peace mantra as a new beginning.

Here’s a list of prepositions… and it is much longer than the one we were given in 8th grade.

Leave a comment with your personal peace statement and/or your observations on how your relationship with peace changes with the use of different words.

May your day be filled with steps and stitches… and a beverage that brings you joy.

~Christina

Other

Many of you commented on using natural fibers when knitting and your desire to support certain types of businesses. Some of these included women-owened businesses.

Dotty, owner of the Net Loft (the one who has the online watercolor classes I previously mentioned) in Cordova, AK sells Jamieson’s yarn.

There’s another woman-owned online shop with only a couple of yarn brands, one of which is Jamiesons and Smiths. The shop is Fairlight Fibers and has the best prices I’ve found in the US and great customer service.

Just in case you were interested…