A Peace Offering

I came home from Florida on Friday with the usual mix of emotions...exhaustion, relief, grief, overindulgence on every level, exhaustion...oh, I said that one already, didn't I? While we were gone the Most Inspirational Ms. Debbie had been taking care of our house and feeding the beloved Furona G. Pig. Once we got the suitcases unloaded and the boys left with their dad, I noticed that Ms. Debbie had left me a gift, in a large red bag. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the bag contained three items, and apparently one of them was peace...a small, rusted, metal ornament tied with twine that read "peace."

Hmmmm...Peace in a red Christmas bag...along with a 20 serving bucket of Strawberry Margaritas and a peppermint antibiotic hand soap. Like gold, frankincese and myrrhh, I had been honored with three gifts offered by a Wise Woman. Blithely, I placed the hand soap under the bathroom sink, stored the margarita bucket for a Valentine's soiree and hung the "peace" over my bedroom door knob to be packed away with the other ornaments when the mood struck.

Fast forward to Sunday, January 1st.

Logging onto http://www.quotations.com/ for an inspirational quote and the word of the day, I found the following:

"Human beings have the inalienable right to reinvent themselves." - Germaine Greer

and

"ruminate - to consider a matter again and again; ponder; muse; meditate; reflect upon."

And so, today I have been ruminating on Peace. How I might be more peaceful. How I might cultivate more peace within and around my being. How I might encourage more peaceful interactions between my warring offspring. Which, quite frankly, seem like overwhelming tasks...especially where my boys are concerned. Make no mistake, this is not a declaration of resolve for a new year. I am simply offering that each day I hope to be more aware of the peaceful moments in my life; with the hope that awareness will bring appreciation which will encourage greater awareness, more appreciation, etc., etc., etc.

When I began this blog last winter, I was seeking to live a more inspired life...to seek the elusive balance between "being" and "doing". As of today, I have produced 39 posts, some of which inspired, lightened a load, encouraged a laugh or kept someone from feeling so fucked up or alone. Along the way I have been blessed with the adventures of travel, discovered a passion for photography, and rediscovered the artistry of cooking for those you love. I have had moments when I genuinely enjoyed the growth of my children more often than not, deeply appreciated the strong steady love of the finest man I have ever known and enjoyed 365 days of  unobstructed breath. It truly has been, a Life Well Lived, and I appreciate those of you who have shared it with me.
Therefore, I offer you this thought:

Today I found Peace in thought, organization and gratitude. By kissing my children at midnight on New Year's Eve. By sending our dreams and wishes up into the universe in the flames of biodegradable hot air balloons. By trying a new recipe for breakfast, organizing our photos and typing up our 2011 Year in Review. Today I breathed in tranquility in the quiet in my own home, doing exactly as I chose...celebrating the gift of today. My hope for you is that you can count the blessings of the year gone by and forgive yourselves the transgressions. Breathing in Love, Breathing out Peace...at least for today.