Dona Nobis Pacem ~ The Woman Of Leaves
Dona Nobis Pacem ~ Blog4Peace 2013
The Woman of Leaves
The Woman of Leaves
I was sitting under this tree you see...when it all came flooding back. The plow. The dirt. The potatoes. The tiller. And Papa.
It was the strangest feeling. One minute I was sitting in the sun. The next I was sitting in a shadow. Two o'clock this afternoon. On a sunny autumn day full of color, the brilliance of orange and red, yellow clusters of joy hanging from leaf-leaving branches preparing their limbs for winter. Me? I was preparing for the muse. I needed to write a peace post.
I am worried that one night the world will simply go to sleep and never wake up.
Someone, somewhere, in a fit of hateful violence will decide to blow up what's left of all the places not already blown up. Because one by one, nation by nation, we are losing ground. And space. Rivers and mountains and clean drinking water. And peaceful places to sit in the world. We need trees and oxygen, nature and creatures running amok. That's the way the world was created. Now we have created something else. We are losing perspective and respect for the sanctity and the dignity of human life. We find those things in Art. In dance. In music. In poetry. In nature. In faith. And here's the redemption: we find it in each other.
Why do we run away from our own salvation?
Sometimes I don't know if I shake the tree or the tree shakes me.
But I do tend to stay in leaves.
It is no secret I talk to trees. My most trusted trees have already told the whole of Bloggingham Forest (you just can't trust trees these days...) and those trees have spilled it to the squirrels and they run endlessly back and forth with the nuts of the world. I tell you it's stressful keeping up with all the tree drama.
But they are such good listeners. And today they got an earful.
I remembered the things in my life that mattered. I could hear them whispering in the sunny breeze; the memories and the voices of people who love me for me. The people whose tethers of truth are strongly rooted in my very heart and will not let me go. The experiences that really shape a person's life are either one of two things: moments of love or moments of pain. Each place leads to a ledge of vulnerability. I get to choose how each dangling space of time will affect my life and therefore, how it will affect those I love and how it will be applied to my actions in the world at large. So do you.
I realized I'd become a woman of leaves.
Because all those who came before left me with exactly what I needed.
When I was a little girl, my Papa had a garden tiller that plowed the little field next to his little house. I always wanted to be where he was so he built a wooden seat in front of the handle bars of that tiller, strapped me in with a soft leather harness, and let me ride with him. I remember his laughing face as he tried to catch kisses in the garden while he plowed, bouncing along we'd go through the cucumber path. The dirt would fly up in his face and his over-sized crippled feet would stumble on rocks and uneven ground. I don't know how he managed to steer the old tiller and keep me from falling. But I didn't care how dirty I got or how rocky the ride. And he didn't care that it was difficult. All that mattered was that we were together. It was safe and unsafe, bumpy and glorious. Turning over potatoes and tomatoes, dirt and love.
During those rides he was sowing seeds of relationship and connection. Had I not been baptized in that unconditional love of his, I know my life's journey would have been incredibly different. I got to ride on a cucumber plow with Papa! There was no finer place to be.
I wonder where love that deep comes from....
Today my world doesn't feel safe. Does yours?
I want that elusive world peace just like you do. But it's not going to happen in my personal village of trees unless I make the right choices. So.I will choose to plow uneven fields with as much love as I can muster. I will carve out safe places for people who need it. I will try to love my neighbor and follow the Golden Rule. The materials I need are not hard to find. I already have them. And I won't need any money. All I have to do is plow up the ground and plant.
If I could choose to become a woman who only runs to the safety of quilts instead of a bed of leaves, I would choose the latter and leave the pretty patchwork behind.
Because there is no more beautiful place in the world than to understand that it is not about the leaving behind of my comforts anymore, it's about how much of myself I am willing to scatter around in that pile of kaleidoscope leaves. There is beauty in the unknown. There is joy in the cobwebs of Earth. There is freedom in giving. And there is no safer place than to wallow around in a boudoir of acorns not knowing which nut you might find, but knowing you'll be OK if you do.
The safe place is not a place at all. The safe place is me.
The safe place is not a place at all. The safe place is me.
Find your tree.
Make a stand.
You'll be alright.
Because your safe place is you
And I need you.
That is why we are here.
Please leave your link in the Mr. Linky below. You can even put your FB profile link in if you don't have a blog. Thank you for reading my words. Thank you for blogging for peace. Thank you for sharing your powerful words with the world. You are an amazing community of writers and artists. I am honored to know all of you.
Join us for BlogBlast For Peace Nov 4, 2013
Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.
46 comments:
http://infinitesadnessorhope.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/dona-nobis-pacem-2013/
Beautiful...3721ramaz
Peace and love, Mimi!
http://thebestparts.net/2013/11/03/dona-nobis-pacem-2013/
In gratitude for the peaceful energy spreading about the world.
We wish you peace...today and everyday. =^..^=
Thank you for doing this and promoting peace!
Thank you so much for creating this amazing event of peace. We are joining hands and paws with our friends across the globe. (((purrs)))
~GLOGIRLY - Tails of Two Cats & Their Girl
Thanks for organizing this, Mimi and to everyone who adds their voice today and throughout the year!
--Ken
So many lovely thoughts in your writing. They swing from beauties of the past to questions of the present so freely. My favourite thought must be:
"how each dangling space of time will affect my life..."
A wonderful post for this special day.
Peace, love & purrs!
Ditto on everything, Mimi. The longing for that better world is what will pull us to it. I do believe that, but oh... what an ache it is!
Best Peace blessings. xx
Thanks for organizing this, Mimi !
PEACE , LOVE and (((Purrs))) <3
Beautiful post Mimi. Peace to you and yours. xx
Peace to you and yours, Mimi. A beautiful post.
Hi Mimi, I couldn't seem to post on Mr. Linky, so I'll put a raw link on here. Wishing you all the best.
www.chrysalisangel1.blogspot.com
Mimi, this is exquisite… thank you for hosting, for gathering us together to sing our song of peace in magnificent harmony.
Please consider yourself officially invited to participate this year's 5th Annual Gratitude (word) Quilt. Instructions (it is very simple) and a link that explains the origin of the word quilt can be found at the top of my blog. In past years there have been participants from every continent except Antarctica. I hope you'll join us:-)
Congratulations on your efforts Mimi. Peaxe everyone.
Mimi, the day dawns! I posted another globe and tagged and put the URL in Mr. Linky. Somewhere I have 3 other globes, but God knows where.
Sorry to be unhelful, brain fog is a real problem with my disease.
Namaste
Cybercelt
Dona Nobis Pacem!
http://mcguffysreader.blogspot.com/2013/11/dona-nobis-pacem.html
Thank you! Peace!
Beautiful and thank YOU!
A beautiful and insightful post as usual my friend.
Have a peaceful day ☮
Peace Muse strikes again.
With Blog Blast on a Monday, it's probably going to take me most of the week to get to everyone's post. But I do it every year and I shall do it again this year.
Peace to you and this glorious day!
Year 7 of a wonderful vision
Thank you for being you
Hope others will follow on my paw tracks
This is such a beautiful day, Mimi! Thank you for all you do. Here I am at http://ask-fisher.com/dona-nobis-pacem-2/#sthash.zeTUE2as.dpbs
and http://ask-fisher.blogspot.com/2013/11/dona-nobis-pacem-pt-2.htm
Peace and love, Jobi and Fisher
What a beautiful post. You a truly an inspiration. Thank you for all you are doing! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201678564437918&set=a.2306058502950.2120288.1593918771&type=1
Peace and love to you Mimi,xx Rachel and Speedy
love that second to last picture - the shot straight up the trunk of the tree! lovely, Mimi, I will have my friend-ravens drop your squirrels an acorn from my neck of the woods, so we can play in the leaf pile together. peace.
Post is up. My cats got involved yesterday by sleeping within proximity of each other. This is a small miracle. There was no hissing. If they can manifest peace, we can, too.
Congratulations, Mimi, what a beautiful day!
http://madmadmargo.blogspot.com/2013/11/dona-nobis-pacem-imagine.html
So love the idea of turning our focus to Peace! May peace be upon you today and always!!
Hugs!!
A wonderful post for peace, Mimi and a wonderful tribute to your Dad. I'm sure he knows and is very proud of you. What you said about safety especially spoke to me. Thank you. Love from Sicily, Pat and Simi the dog.xx woof!
Thanks for doing this again, Mimi! Peace be with you!
Such a beautiful post, Mimi. I feel the heart of your Dad beating a rhythm of peace through each and every one of us. What a gift.
Peace.
Loved your post, thank you!
Thank you for this! Peace!
May peace prevail on earth and in the hearts of all people.
Your words and images are strikingly powerful and memorable this year, Mimi. Thank you for the invitation and yes, you are right. Peace is inside of us . . .
I bid you peace too...
Peace to you!
Hi Mimi (Mrs. Jim is Mimi to the grandchildren) ~~ I loved your writing and could identify with you beyond the name. Mr Dad lived to be 97, he died in 2007.
My second poem today (not written specifically for blog4peace like the first) was about my Mom finding her peace, being escorted to Heaven by an angel. That may be the only peace we will find in our lifetimes.
..
Mr. Linky doesn't like me tonight. So please try this:
"Jim's Blog4Peace 2013 poem link: http://jimmiehov6.blogspot.com/2013/11/angels-on-clouds-blog4peace.html"
..
Thank you for giving us a voice, for being the voice, and for sharing the hope...
Teri and the Cats of Curlz and Swirlz
Visiting from the imaginary garden with real toads, where Kerry O'Connor asks us to contribute. Peace... ~ M
My winter soul has been melted by the colorful touching reflectiveness of past and present in your post, as your resilient efforts to promote Peace throughout the years continues to give me hope that one day there will be Peace! Thank you for you Mimi!
Thank you for another beautiful and insightful event, Mimi. Bless your golden heart. Dona Nobis Pacem.
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