Peace Looks Like...

Below is a response from a prompt selected by Julie Jordan Scott and her 5 for 5 Brain Dump Writing Retreat in July 2018.

(Part 1) Peace looks like this almond tree growing in my back yard, a desert terrain with a little TLC. Peace smells like the summer evening breeze. Peace tastes like a light glass of blush wine after a full day of work. Peace sounds like the birds chirping in the morning and evening.

(Part 2-written after more prompting and reflective thought) I remember peace during a few precious moments in time during my turbulent teen years when I sat with a girlfriend (Julie Johnson) on a fork of the Clearwater River in the green north Idaho forest. We slid our bare feet onto the river's edge cold dirt, splashing the clear cool water on our warm skin. We tossed pebbles into the shallow water asking the questions about life we didn't have answers to. We were independent thinking young women who were also still required to be semi-dependent on others. We could laugh at the simplest things, or let the tears silently roll if needed. We were alone in many aspects and yet our friendship has remained after nearly 38 years. We both wanted more that summer day of the unknown. More peace within. More peace with others. And for that blip on the continuum of our lives we found much needed peace through each other. And we can still capture that in a few simple words while living 300 miles away. Thank you, my friend.

Letting Go

i catch

the maple leaf      then let

it go

John Wills

Letting go of an idea, object, or relationship is not an easy process for many people. I  wonder if this is partly due in my case to the teachings of Christianity. The words of Christ do speak of this process. However, I feel as if the Christian church has either misinterpreted or intentionally manipulated those words. For example, in the patriarchal social structure of the Hebrews, this idea of "letting go" to be man and wife gave the power of the relationship to the male in the relationship. The women, in many relationships, is eventually devalued as a result. I have difficulty believing that this was the message of Christ.

I believe another result of the teachings is the difficulty in the grieving process. There is a lack of something, maybe it is understanding, ritual, or space, that prevents people from "letting go" with a sense of peace. I like the way this author illustrates this as a peaceful process.