“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
the dark of winter
a hidden moon
a frozen river
And beneath the surface,
not visible to the eye is a process vital to all
rest, reset, renew.
Winter… a season to embrace the opportunity to retreat and restore.
New moon… a moment to pause and gather the energy to grow yet again.
January 1… a day on a calendar to mark the beginning of something new.
Whether you identify with the season, the moon, or the calendar, we are at an intersection with the gift of a fresh start… a shift in perspective perhaps.
A chance to pause, reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, and perhaps where we might want to go. And like the river, perhaps it’s to “go with the flow” and meet life’s surprises as we encounter them…
and let life unfold.
Winter river…
“You have to pick the places you don’t walk away from.”
Thank you to all who posted a comment on the December 1st blog post, sent an email, or a card. Without the attention of Project Peace, December was definitely a different experience. The bright spot was spending each morning in stillness watching the dark night give way to the light of the day. For those of you who also lit a candle each morning, I hope you enjoyed the practice.
Yet with this practice also came the need to confront some bigger questions…
As I rested from the intense semester and pondered the direction of the upcoming year,
I made a list
then I read a book about time management
which prompted me to remove most items from said list.
In the discomfort of my awareness on the finitude of time, I also found solace…
To identify what is so valuable that I won’t walk away from it, yet allowing life to unfold like the river described by John O’Donahue.
I realized this: Project Peace will continue with a new format… it needs to unfurl in new ways that have yet to be realized.
I’ll also be doing this: spending 5 weeks this summer in Shetland and Fair Isle for creative explorations and an immersion in the study of peace and the food system (provided the pandemic allows such an adventure).
I’m allowing the rest of the year to wax and wane like the moon and meander like a river. Of course, I’ll be stitching it all together with knitting and taking photos everywhere I go.
Cultivating peace in our lives whether it be through knitting, food, relationships, and care for the Earth is that river to me… my journey with peace continues to unfold in surprising ways. Peace to all during this season, the presence of the new moon, and the beginning of a new year.
A few things:
the book I mentioned above is called “Four thousand weeks: Time management for mortals” by Oliver Burkeman. I’m halfway through and it’s been a valuable read thus far.
I also recently read “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan. A quick read about speaking up when it means possibly losing all that matters to you. Set in Ireland in the mid-80’s.
You might enjoy listening to a conversation with Krista Tippett from Onbeing, Vivek Murthy, and Richard Davidson on the Future of Well-being. I loved this… So inspiring.
peace from the trees in deep winter… grounded, resting, and wise