In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.
~Henry Miller
::elizabeth::
Jude and I have been travelling with the
13 moon walk 4 peace for the last two weeks. We have had an incredible experience as we integrated into a loving supportive community to walk for healing, peace and happiness and to bring that healing to the areas we are walking. My original plan was to walk for 1 week from Atlanta to Macon, and the reason for this was simply because I grew up outside of Atlanta and my ancestors are from Macon. But as I walked I realized the depth of what needed healing went way beyond what I could accomplish in one week. So we stayed on.
People wonder why we are walking. And there have been times that some of our group has wondered the same thing. People have wondered how we could just put our lives on hold to do this. And believe me; each one of us has had major issues to overcome to make it possible for us to be here. The simplicity of walking has a liberating effect. Having packed for 1 week has simplified my life so greatly, that I have found a sense of peace in just that piece of this journey. Our plans shift very often, which has been a great gift to me and one of the aspects of this walk that I love. There is no room for attachment or routine. From that standpoint, embracing each moment is quite easy. From the perspective of someone looking in from the outside, it may seem like what we are trying to do is impossible. But from where I sit I can’t imagine walking this walk any other way.
::lisa::
Six years ago, when my daughter was diagnosed with having extreme sensitivities to gluten, we realized that we could never eat out anywhere and that gluten was literally in everything. We then had to go ever further than buying organic food, but now also had to cook most of everything from scratch, everyday. This was probably one of my first lessons that brought me full circle to realizing that this situation was truly a gift to us. It brought us closer to knowing what we ate and led us to where we are now.
Two years ago, I got rid of my cell phone. I think I went through withdrawal for a couple weeks. I would think how I had to call someone, but then realize I couldn’t, and then I had to let it go. After those first two weeks, I saw a space open up in my life of complete freedom and independence that just didn’t exist for me when I was constantly connected. I stopped rushing around and starting realizing where I was…no strings attached.
Throughout this past year, my family has struggled financially more than I ever thought possible. At first, I despised the days when my husband had no work. After awhile, I began to despise the days he did. Dollar signs lost their meaning, and what replaced them where hearts full of love. The kids wanted Daddy home to read books, play, and go for bike rides. I wanted my husband home to help out and for companionship. That’s what seems right. Bills don’t always get paid and there are times when I question struggle vs. worth. In the end, what I have realized is that what really matters is happiness and truth.
When we take the time to travel through our lessons, no matter how painful they may appear, or inconvenient they may seem, in the long run, we will have gained something nothing could come close to comparing to. Some things we voluntarily choose for one reason or another, while other times the situations seem to choose us. Either way, we are given the opportunity to see the beauty in growth and live in the now.
:::
For those of you joining us in the piece together peace project, we will have a post up on Thursday for us to check in to see how the first month's intentions have been going. We can't wait to see what you have to share...so check back in later this week!
