finding peace

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

To be able to carry with us the peace the early morning brings. The stillness around us, the quiet and the simplicity.

I'm an early riser and enjoy this feeling before movement sets in, bustling to get my family out of the door, activities, scheduling, joyful and sometimes not so joyful noise. I do have 3 children. I'm out of the house one morning a week at 530am to get to my studio class and I drive in complete silence, still dark and sometimes a few stars and if I'm lucky, the moon, above me. An area gym is the only source of activity and while I drive by it's brightly lit facade, I join the others in solidarity for this fresh hour to the start of our days. The remainder of the week I am up early also maybe just reading or thinking of the day ahead.

How quickly that time goes from peace and tranquility to a constant don't stop pace. And it isn't until the last one is tucked in at night, kitchen cleaned, backpacks ready for the following school day, laundry nearly complete and the next day planned, that I find that sense of peace again.

I'd like to find ways to carry that early morning peace with me throughout the day. During meal planning, grocery shopping, errand running, bustling to and from activities, phone calls, sibling fights, homework, routine. If it cannot be the kind of peace that comes with the first rays of light trickling through the windows, then find a different kind in all that we choose to do throughout our days. Look for the peace amongst the chaos of our lives. Could be brief moments of the day to hold onto when times get tough or a simple memory to help remind me that everything is temporary.