And here we are… here.
On the darkest day of the year, a brief moment in time when the sun will pause before spending more time each day in the northern hemisphere.
Today, marks our last day of our 21 day sojourn with peace… perhaps, it is not an end just a pause like the sun, as we move forward with intention and new ideas on how we can cultivate peace in our world.
Knitting… such a simple act, one stitch followed by the next, lined up in columns of stitches, twisting and turning, openings here and there, ultimately creating a beautiful fabric to warm the recipient.
The fiber provided by the sheep, the maker, a giver of time, the recipient… well, who knows how they respond to the gift… it’s their choice…
knitting … one stitch at a time from one continuous fiber…
knitting does not promise to be easy…
knitting does not promise to be without mistakes and flaws…
knitting does not promise to be a constant state of euphoria and harmony…
and so it is true with peace…
A place of peace…
There is this place, a place on the edge of the prairie…
where the prairie begins to fade into the northern terrain of Minnesota.
Where those that now live on this land, the farm that has been in a family for over 5 generations… are no longer “owners” yet rather stewards and caretakers of this place.
Where every intentional act leads to the restoration of the land to it’s native tall grass prairie… to provide the seed bed deep in the soil a chance to once again flourish.
A place where the inputs are love and hard-work and a commitment to peace… saying yes to old and honorable ways that respect others and the Earth.
Saying no to the chemicals, the machines, and the controlling of nature for personal gain…
a place where the food is simple and does so much more than sustains one’s physical body… it nourishes the soul…
where one drinks tea dried from the grasses of the prairie…
a place to gather around a bonfire on the top of a hill under the huge night sky… stories shared of those from long ago, of the day’s adventures, and dreams for the future…
a place where one honors the people that lived on this land hundreds of years ago… the land of the Dakota. Embracing the indigenous ways of knowing and being…
a place of healing… the land and the people.
a place where trees are planted for protection, for food, in memory, and community.
Everything here has a purpose… the cattle and the goats are the heart and soul of this place. They manage the weeds, they eat the spring grasses which allows for the summer grasses to flourish…
It is here that I feel called to lay down on the earth and gaze up at the open sky…
to honor and learn from those that have gone before us…
to be here, very here…
and to know that this is the path forward…
a place of peace.
Peace… cultivating right and just relationships with self, others, and the Earth.
Peace doesn’t promise this will be easy…
Peace doesn’t ever say we won’t have heartache…
Peace doesn’t ask us to wait for it to show up…
peace is here.
I was asked early on about “world peace” and if I’d get to that topic…
and yes, with each small act of intentional peace…
cultivating our own right and just relationships with self, others and the Earth…
We build a house one brick at a time, from the ground up… this is how we work towards “world peace.”
Peace tip #21
Write your own peace story… in a tiny zine. Here are some instructions on how you can make the cutest little “book.” All you need are scissors and 1 piece of 8.5”X11” paper and a pen. There are lots of great resources on the web for making zines including videos.
What’s your peace story? Are there tips you want to remember from the past 21 days? A story you want to write and share with others? Perhaps you want to illustrate the pages… maybe it’s just a few key words to remember. Make it your own….
Updates
World-wide knit for peace day… today is our group-proclaimed day to knit for peace. I have a dream that we will someday spread this activity throughout all the knitting land… so today, knit in solitude, gather in a socially-distanced, masked-up small group, or a virtual meet-up… today, knit with intention for peace.
Our 3rd give-away… in my stash, I’ve found 2 wonderful skeins of fingering weight yarn in contrasting colors that would be beautiful in a Metanoia wrap. I’d love to send them to a new home. I’ll announce the recipient on Monday 12/28. Post a comment on Day 21 by 12/26 in response to the following…
What is your biggest a-ha moment from the past 21 days related to peace in place?
Did you post a comment every day for 21 days? I’m thinking the answer is yes for at least 50 of you… Send me an email (thehealthyknitter at gmail dot com) letting me know that you made a comment on the post for every day. In the subject line write “21 days of comments.” Let me know one thing you liked about Project Peace 2020 and what you’d like to see more of in Project Peace 2021. Email me by 12/26…
Thank you to everyone for all your engaging, thoughtful, and inspiring comments over the past 21 days.
What’s next?
I’ve been working on some plans for 2020… I’m not yet ready to detail them all (plus this post is already long enough)…
I’ll share some of what I’m planning next Monday. I will let you know that I plan to be present in this space at least monthly in the coming year.
