May 2020

Peace is one of my core values, whatever that means. From my earliest memories I was attracted to, committed to, and determined to practice peace. I was raised in a houseful of wonderful family members with a large spectrum of expressing thoughts, opinions, feelings, shoulds, wants, don't wants, needs, and "you better and you better nots." I distinctly remember deciding to cultivate peace, to regulate myself, and to find other options for myself. I accepted an assignment to lean toward another polarity. I've given thanks many times for that spectrum of family and how it taught me how to do it and how not to do it.

My family didn't attend church. However, I wanted to. I asked my momma about going to church and she responded in her classic tone and way, "If you want to go to church, find you a way to get there." I did. I called the neighbors and asked around to see who goes to church and where. I asked them to pick me up and offered to walk to their house, if necessary, to get the ride. Of course, they were delighted for me to attend church with them. It was a Methodist church and my Sunday school teacher was named Clio. She was an emissary of love, sweetness, and calm presence. I loved her and I loved being with her. She gave me my first Bible, which I still have. Talk about miracles that I have something from that many years ago with all the "rightsizing" and "downsizing" and homefree living I've experienced. It is safely stored in my cedar chest at my family home. She signed it for me too. It was a gift and so was she. She lived to be nearly 100.

I was her teacher assistant. She let me read to the class, gave me assignments to study and to memorize. She saw me and my wholehearted desire to learn. As I reflect in this writing, I'm open to the reality that she actually enjoyed me.

She was an epitome of peace. I never once saw her raise her voice, react to the room full of children with that big energy or express even a flinch of disappointment when I couldn't recite the lines perfectly. I want, and still do, to be more like that. I've worked at it for 50 years now and just this week I heard, "You get one second of peace for every year you practice." WHAT???????

"You get one second of peace for every year you practice." WHAT??????? Okay fine, I'm up to 50 seconds. I can assure you that pausing, presencing myself, and that fifty seconds will hold the full power of the universe. Test it for yourSELF.

Go in peace and practice... practice... practice. After all, practice makes... Progress.

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