But thy eternal
summer shall not fade…
William Shakespeare
You see this? This was hands down one of my favorite moments
of the summer- standing barefoot on a pier overlooking the Severn River on an
historical estate. It was hot and humid that day, but the cloud cover made it
bearable. I can recall how quiet it was. It was so quiet you felt as though you
should whisper so as not to disturb the symphony of cicadas in the background.
This is peace. Right?
Yes and no. In regards to slowing down, being still, and relishing
the beauty of simplicity…then yes, this is the picture of contentment. We
should all make room for this kind of stillness on a regular basis. However, if
I need to create this exact ambience, this pier, this river, this white dress
in order to feel calm, then no. If I can only access this feeling through fragrances
and rituals, then I’m sorry, but it’s not true peace. True peace is maintaining
an internal posture of rest regardless of the external situation.
It’s a tall order, I’m well aware. But that is why we build
inner strength throughout our lives. We plant our internal roots deep so that we’re
not violently thrown when the storms of life rage about. We’re affected by the
issues of life, of course, but not greatly moved. We’re not greatly
moved when we learn to live in peace.
I must admit, with Labor Day weekend here and summer
wrapping up, I don’t even want to think about the storms that will inevitably
come. Summer was really awesome for me and I kind of just want to linger
in this happy place a bit longer. But that’s the thing. I can. No matter what
happens in the future I can always come back to this moment in my mind and you
can go back to your own. Select your mental picture of peace and you too can
have an eternal summer no matter what happens around you.
Author note: Fall is actually this writer’s
favorite season. With the fashion, the holidays, and her October birthday, fall
reigns supreme. Summer imagery was simply used for illustrative purposes. ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment