And here we are with the tale of a weary peace traveler…
Day after day, walking the path of peace, the traveler grew tired. Of what she did not know…
it could have been the physical action of walking each day, step after step along the well worn trail…
or the emotional drain of striving for change when so little seemed to take root…
yet maybe it was her dampened spirit, when so much darkness seemed to prevail…
Late in the afternoon, she sat down along the edge of the path to ponder… “I must rest,” she said. “I am not sure I can continue. I am oh so very tired. If I can just find a place under a tree to lay my head…”
She sauntered on until a trail appeared heading off into a woods that seemed to come out of nowhere. Without hesitation, as if called to exit the main path, she found herself walking in a new direction. Her fatigue persisted, yet she felt a spark from deep within… she must find out more.
Deeper and deeper into the woods she walked. Darker and darker it became. Never quite feeling lost but still in search of a place to rest. Nightfall was on it’s way. And as she walked, off in the distant she saw an old stone building nestled in the side of a tree… smoke rising from the chimney. “Perhaps there is someone home and they can guide me to a restful place?” The weary peace traveler found comfort in this thought…
and made her way to the old stone building nestled in the side of a tree.
She knocked three times… waiting paitently between each knock. The door began to open, slowly, very slowly… and a darkness was all that could be seen when looking inside the old stone building that was nestled in the side of a tree.
A very, very old woman stepped forward… yet remained on her side of the doorway, the peace traveler on hers. Oddly, the peace traveler felt a twinge of unease mixed with a wonderful feeling of acceptance.
This very, very old woman was a sight to behold…
her long grey hair, the color of clouds on a stormy day,
her weathered, wrinkly skin akin to the crevaces of the earth,
a long brown cloak, the same color as the bark of trees…
and her eyes, a softness that was not marked by time… aquamarine.
“Come in…” she said to the weary, peace travler. “Come rest your head…”
So the weary peace traveler, stepped over the doorway and into the old stone building nestled in the side of a tree.
And as the two walked from one room to the next, it seemed that the old stone building nestled in the side of a tree began to get bigger… to go farther and farther… into the unknown.
The very, very old woman asked the traveler, “besides rest, what is it you seek?” “Peace” was all she could mutter.
Follow me said the very, very old woman who lived in the old stone building nestled in the side of a tree… and they moved into a new room. The very, very old woman sat down and picked up a pair of socks and began to mend the holes.
She looked up and said, “I will grant you three wishes, one for yourself, the second for others, and the third for the Earth. But there are two rules… you may not use the word “peace” and it must be realistic, an action within your reach.”
The weary peace traveler paused… and said “but I want world peace! that’s why I have been walking.”
The very, very, old woman replied… “you must continue your walk, you are on the right path, yet mend what is within your reach. Your intention is good, yet your approach unrealistic.”
The very, very old woman set aside her own darning, and as they walked from room to room in the old stone building nestled in the side of a tree, the peace traveler stated her wishes, one at a time, with intention and compassion…
for self,
others,
and the Earth.
The very, very old woman sat down, picked up a holey pair of jeans and began stitching the threads together to repair the well worn spaces of the fabric. And while the weary peace traveler sipped on a cup of tea, feeling rested, she began to notice the room and the woman fade away…
and fade they did.
The weary peace traveler found herself among the ancient oak trees and moss-covered rocks, grey clouds high in the sky, and the most brilliant sea… aquamarine.
“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time. ”
Peace nugget #10
You probably already know the question for today. What are your three wishes? Within your reach, actionable, and without using the word peace…
Feel free to share your wishes
or your thoughts about the tale
or themes you noticed from the previous posts and how they showed up in the tale of the weary peace traveler.
Other
What wonderful comments about islands. What struck me as a theme is that our lived experiences definitely influence how we view islands. I really enjoyed the sharing of childhood memories and the mention of particular islands, such as Orcas and Bainbridge which made me nostaligic for the years I lived in Washington state.
With deep appreciation for all of you for walking the peace path… even when we are weary.