December 21, 2023

Day 21... zen

“To go in the dark
with a light
is to know the light.
To know the dark,
go dark.
Go without sight,
and find that the dark,
too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet
and dark wings.”

— Wendell Berry

Reawick beach, “dark beach 1” October 2023

Winter solstice… a turning point from darkness into the light. I’m always sad when this day arrives… I’m not ready to move on… “let me linger in the darkness, a place of refuge and rest. Please, don’t ask me to move forward into spring… Can’t we pause, replenish, recharge for a wee while more?

Reawick beach, “dark beach 2” October 2023

And so it is with our 21 day walk with peace… can’t we stay here just a little longer? What if we don’t feel ready quite yet to emerge and blossom into the spring time of peacebuilding.

This may be the end of our 21 day peace journey and yet, just like the solstice, this day is a turning point… the beginning of what’s to come.

Reawick beach, “dark beach 3” October 2023

It’s been said here before, “peace is a verb.” Peace is action… to be incorporated into our days with intention.

And/both… peace is a way of being, a noun. Some might call this zen… perhaps it’s thought of as ease… maybe it’s all of this and none of it all at the same time.

And perhaps peace just is…

because life is complicated and messy and mixed in with the “rollercoasters” of life…

and yet peace is all the wonders we have explored in the last 21 days…

Peace is embedded in the minutia of our lives… and as expansive as the cosmos.

Peace is the web of life… where all is interconnected…

and never, ever underestimate the power of one person… to be and do peace… and for that peace to ripple out… extending your reach beyond what might be fathomable.

hello to here

hello to the here of far, far, away

hello to changing our perspectives

and don’t forget your compass as you continue on the path of peace…

“We go down
into the heart of earth
to learn to love
and be heart-free.”

— John Dunne

Peace nugget #21

At the beginning of Project Peace, I mapped out some topics for each day… I’d said yes to writing in December, picked out a theme yet no solid plan for what I’d write about each day had emerged. I’d committed but now what?

So, I just started… and hoped it would come together. Day 1… peace in action. Hmm, tomorrow, I’ll write about birds… and then I saw a pattern … “a,” “b,”… tomorrow will be a “c” word.

Eureka!

A path forward! I created a bank of words… somedays had plenty (hello “w”), others are still a bit of a mystery (hmm, to “x”), yet some letters had topics so big they’ll have to wait (yes, I’m looking at you “s”).

My original word for “z” was zine (prounounced zeen). And when a few people yesterday recognized the pattern and followed that up with “and I think I know your word for tomorrow,” I was compelled to change my word. There’s no way anyone was guessing “zine.” So, I went with zen…

I originally picked zine so that we could end with a little activity. So let’s make a paper zine as your own peace journal… instructions for folding a paper zine can be found here (watch the first 7 minutes) and here.

Possible items to include in your zine:

some quotes or phrases that captured your attention throughout the 21 days
pick a few of the daily words and write down what they mean to you
doodle the words
dedicate a page for your own “peace commitments;” day, week, month, season, year
include your wishes (“journey”), mantra (“k is for knitting), and what you’d like to manifest (“m”).

What will you carry forward with you as we turn into this new season (of peace)?

Other

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This has been a hope-filled journey… and while I am tired, you all have provided so much to this experience.

Your engagement has built a community grounded in peace…

Your willingness to travel with me and explore abstract ways of identifying peace in our lives … for this I am grateful.

If you posted every day, send me an email (thehealthyknitter at gmail dot com) with the following information:

title the subject of the email with “Project Peace 2023 daily commenter”
in your email tell me your biggest take-away from participating AND your favorite day with an explanation
provide your full name and address (see explantion below)

If you read every day and did not post a comment, send me an email (thehealthyknitter at gmail dot com) with the following information:

title the subject of the email with “Project Peace 2023 daily reader”

in your email tell me your biggest take-away from participating AND your favorite day with an explanation
include your full name and address (see explanation below)

Send this email by December 27, 2023, 11:59 pm central time. For those who posted daily (and reside in the U.S.), I’ll randomly draw a name and send a yarn related surprise. For all others, I’ll be sending you a note and tiny peace=related item in the mail (hence the need for your address). I won’t be doing anything with your addresses other then sending you a letter…

I’ll post again on December 28, the full moon, with the name of the recipient.

And so my peace friends and fellow peace walkers… I leave you here to carry forward new and different ways of seeing, being, and living peace in our world. Happy solstice, holidays, and full moon.

December 20, 2023

Day 20... Yes

by Christina

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

— Mary Oliver

Shetland pony. Near Gloup, Yell, Shetland Isles. July 2023

A call to say “yes.” The power of possibility… what is it that pulls at you… to say yes! Not the dragging yes of responsilibility or the “ok, sure…” but the yes that seems to be dwelling deep in the eyes of the pony. Oh to the yes.

Did you know that there are over 158,000 5-letter words in the English dictionary with about 9,000 acceptable in the game of Scrabble. Yet this one word, “peace,” is so complex and multifaceted… so misunderstood… and oh so powerful, for better or for worse. Is there any other 5-letter word that is more well-known? There are dedicated scholars, programs, departments, centers, institutes devoted to this word… in the pursuit of…

Bog cotton. Eshaness, Shetland, UK. July 2023

I now look back and realize that in 2015, I entered into a relationship… with a word, “peace.” The irony… to be in relationship with a word about relationships… and while it hasn’t been all “peaceful,” which so many equate with “easy,” I have clung to this word through the ups and downs. Just like the bog cotton growing in the peaty, soggy ground of a cliff next to the North Sea… holding on in the intense summer wind. Finding beauty in adversity… as a result, the relationship has deepened.

A commitment to cultivating healthy relationships with self, others, and the Earth is my “yes!”

The land of rainbows. Reawick, Shetland. October 2023

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean—

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

The question that Mary Oliver poses… what will you do with your life? She has such a way of removing the pressure of trying to “figure out,” “solve,” “make happen,” in regards to ones life’s plans. This poem highlights the beauty to be found in the simple… what matters seems to bubble to the surface.

Hello to here…

and yes to peace…

a potpouri of actions, birds, colors, doors, gates, here, islands, journeys, knitting, language, manifestos, nourishment, organizing, pauses, rememberances, understanding, and the letter “w”… yes to all of this and so much more.

Evidence of peace in our world exists in the most random places… we have only to look around us… even in a community of people connected through the “internet” gathering in the darkest of months (in the northern hemisphere) to contemplate and incorporate acts of peace into their daily lives.

“I am extraordinarily priviledged in nearly every way, but what I’m most grateful for now is my parents’ belief, passed down like any other inheritance, that there’s more beauty in the world than horror.

This optimism gives you license. It’s a kind of audacity and it can work like an all-purpose key to the locked doors of you dreams. “Why not you?” it whispers.”

— Laurel Braitman, What looks like bravery: An epic journey through loss to love

An old kirk, Skeld, Shetland, UK. October 2023.

Peace nugget #20

A few reminders… hello to here… mending what is within our reach… what is your yes when it comes to “peace?”

Pick a line or phrase from today… what makes your heart sing?

Other

It’s been quite the adventure… 20 days thus far, exploring so many facets of peace. I am still amazed that I said “yes",” in response to an email nudging me to “do” Project Peace this year. What a powerful reminder… yes to the power of peace.

Have you noticed the pattern of the daily prompts? I’m so curious to know if and when you might have recognized the pattern. And what could tomorrow possibly be… have I saved the most challenging letter for last?

peace,

Christina

December 19, 2023

Day 19... W

by Christina

Welcome to a walk along the water’s edge in a winter wonderland.

Oh the letter W. The highs and lows of the W…

straightforward: down, up, down, up…

meandering and soft: up, down, around, up, down, around, up, straight

frilly and embellished: up with grace, down with boldness, repeat, then squiggle

pathways of peace as the letter “w”… there are ups and downs… sometimes, peace is straightforward and direct, other times peace shows up as softness… round on the edges… and then there’s that aspect of peace, complicated and challenging with a disguise of fancy.

And with each change in direction of the brushstoke, the pen must pause. No matter the style of the “w,” the one thing they have in common is the pause in between directions of the pen.

Just like peace… regardless of how it shows up in our lives and the world, peace must include a pause.

Welcome…

a word that represents being open, inviting, inclusive and takes my mind to the topic of hospitality. I’ve written previously about the word “hospitality” in the context of peace. Many may think of being gracious, being that proper host when it comes to this word, yet Henry Nouwen had a different perspective.

“Hospitality is not to change people but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines...”

— Henry Nouwen

A space where change is possible… that’s a space I want to be… to walk in that place of possibility, to create a space where change can happen. Not because I defended an argument or made a strong enough case to persuade another, not to win.

To create a space where change can happen. Peace, not only as a welcoming and gracious host but as the power of possibility…

Walk in winter

Walk along the water’s frozen edge… to gaze in wonder of the marvels of our world. To know that winter is a time of pause, without which no spring can emerge. Take this time to ease into the shortness of these days… to watch the dark of night yield to the light of day and vice versa.

Water

we are water… 60% of our beings are water… 70% of the Earth is covered in water. The earths water meanders through our bodies… our blood”streams” are the rivers of our lives… water is wonder…

our relationship with water is germane to our existence… peace as relationship with self, others, and the Earth… mend what is within our reach… water… invite others into a space where change is possible… clean water as peace.

Peace nugget #19

peace as the letter “W.” Take some time today to go for a walk (or just get outside if walking is not possible) and ponder the letter “w” as a pathway for peace.

Walk with peace.

Can you think of other words that begin with the letter “w” that describe peace as relationhips that might be not so mainstream?

Which “w” word as a metaphor for peace captured your attention?

Other

I previously included a link to the music of Sara Thomsen. One of my most favorite songs that she has written is called “Water of Life.” Those words… oh, those words.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the severity of the water crisis in the US. Most are familiar with the Flint, MI water crises, however, clean water (or the lack thereof) is a critical issue, particularly in the Midwest. If you want to learn more about the connection between water quality and agriculture, Chris Jones has an excellent (and very direct) “blog” on Substack.

Only two more days until winter solstice. I absolutely love this day… a chance to celebrate winter, my favorite season. Remember to comment everyday if you can… there’ll be a few surprises. So, if you need to go back and read and comment on a few previous posts, now’s the time. And maybe you’ve been reading along each day and have chosen not to post. There’s something for you as well.

peace… one beat, one stitch, one step at a time

~Christina

December 18, 2023

Day 18... understand

by Christina

Stand

under

To understand… a person, situation, circumstance… perhaps we might need to “stand under.” To walk in the shoes, to see it from their perspective… a way of peace.

How can we learn to celebrate the differences in our lives since it seems the differences become the catalyst to breaking down relationships?

What better way to illustrate my thoughts than with a two-part story…

Scenario 1. Previously, I mentioned the riddle-teller who loves to organize. If you asked her to describe herself she would say “organized.” If you asked her for an example of a fun activity, “organize.” To me, it’s mind-boggling how organized she is… yet it brings her great joy. I, on the otherhand, would only achieve a C+ in the category of organization and on the days that I really try, a B-. I have worked closely with the riddle-teller for 8 years… and this difference in our styles/personalities is one of our greatest strengths. We giggle at each others way of tackling a problem as neither of us would approach problem-solving from the same angle. Instead of mounting frustration over each others style, we celebrate our differences. As a result, we are very productive and enjoy our time together.

Scenario 2. I am a work to the deadline type of person. If a project is due on Monday at 5 pm, I am submitting the project that afternoon. I used to work with a woman who wanted the project done a week early. I knew this was important to her, so I tried multiple times to complete projects in advance. Yet, I was always a few days late (for her deadline)… We were unable to find a middle ground and the collaboration dissolved over time.

Now, let me be perfectly clear. There is an ease in the relationship with the riddle-teller whereas the early-deadline meeter and I never had that type of grace. So, when times get challenging, complex, or frustrating, the riddle-teller and I have the ability to talk. That was not so with the early-deadline meeter. And the longer I waited to have a conversation about our differences, the more strained the relationship became.

When it comes to cultivating peace for self, others, and the Earth in the context of what is within our reach… perhaps there are some key tenets that we can apply; a checklist if you will. Let’s put this in the first person…

How can I seek to understand the big picture?
How can I consider an issue fully and resist the urge to come to a quick conclusion?
How can I change my perspective to increase my understanding?
How can I consider how my current attitudes and beliefs are influencing the current reality and the future?
How can I recognize that a time delay may affect the desired outcome?

Scenario 2 really needed some assistance if the collaboration was going to move forward… and of course, finding a way forward has to be desired by both parties. At that time, I did not have the skillset to navigate the complexities of the collaboration. But in retrospect, I could have used the questions above to frame a conversation.

As we’ve been discussing the last few weeks, life is interconnected… with others and the Earth. Problems arise when we become disconnected; we begin to shut down and no longer see the beauty in our differences. We become divided… an advanced stage of disconnection.

I’m sure we all have examples of relationships in our lives when the understanding broke down, the communication dissolved, and we stopped seeking to view perspectives other than our own.

Peacebuilders understand, seek new pespectives, query their own beliefs and attitudes, resist the urge to react (hello ‘pause’), and acknowledge that waiting too long to address a problem may have outcomes not aligned with the desired effect.

Peace nugget #18

The questions listed in our peacebuilder checklist are five of the fourteen habits of systems thinking as described by the Waters Center for Systems Thinking. You can learn more about the habits here. If you are an educator, there are lots of resources for classroom use as well.

The world needs systems thinkers… the ability to apply the habits in our daily lives provides a pathway for peace. Imagine a world where we sought to understand the big picture and seek new perspectives… or even better if we considered how our own attitudes and beliefs were influencing our interactions with others.

Let’s apply the habits of systems thinking to our relationships with self, others, and the Earth… being mindful to address relationships “within our reach.” Pick a habit (listed above or here) that speaks to you.

Which habit did you select?

Describe how your chosen habit represents peacebuilding.

Other

I’ve been asked if the Project Peace 2023 daily readings will continue to be available after our 21 days and the answer is “yes.” The daily prompts from Project Peace 2016 - 2020 are also available on the website if you find yourself wanting to read more.

Again, I’d like to thank you for all your beautiful comments. During my morning “coffee with peace” time, I’m holding so many of you in my thoughts as you walk through life’s challenges… loss of a partner, parent(s), child(ren), friend(s); whether it be through a parting of ways or the last beat of the heart. Peace.