↓
 

Cynthia Kraack

Author

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • 40 Thieves on Saipan
    • The High Cost of Flowers
    • Boundaries Without
    • The Ashwood Trilogy
    • Minnesota Cold
  • Blog
  • Media/Events
  • Contact

Category Archives: WordSisters

Simple Peace (Appeared on WordSisters Blog)

Cynthia Kraack Posted on July 29, 2022 by Cynthia KraackJuly 29, 2022

Sixty-six degrees at eight in the morning on July 4 in Door County. My hands smell of lavender from making bouquets and the harvest piles up in an old, rusty green Suburban Garden wagon. The cold spring delayed sprigs maturing, but the first varieties are now ready. These mornings of working at a table with a sweeping view of blooming lavender rows, friends bent over the bushy plants, and collies running offer a respite from news and worries.

Yes, the world is dipping and swaying for huge reasons, and it is hard to be proud of the state of our nation. I couldn’t get into the goofy happiness of a small town 4th of July parade and snapping pictures of kids on decorated tractor wagons and the grocery store staff pushing decorated shopping carts. I haven’t absorbed the sickening news of another mass shooter at a different parade. National discord and gun violence keep Americans in an uncomfortable state of anxiety so I’m looking for moments of simple pleasure to build personal peace of mind. I’m talking really simple pleasures:

Fresh peas, shelled by someone else.

Sunshine and cool air this morning.

Birdsong.

Two fawns playing in a neighbors’ yard.

Straight from the field strawberries.

Farmers market greens and cherry tomatoes.

Giggles of a happy infant granddaughter.

Our eight-year-old granddaughter singing.

Music while working.

A short pile of books.

Family and good friends a call or text away.

Some days you must restore your own core to keep pushing through your role in the bigger world. Here’s hoping you can create a list of simple pleasures to support minutes of personal peace.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_2510.jpegSimp
Posted in Blog, Personal Meditation, WordSisters | Tagged Door County, Friends, Harvesting Ashwood, Seasons, Stress Relief | Leave a reply

Sign up for News

* = required field

Follow on Facebook

Follow me on Facebook

Links

  • Graywolf Press
  • The Loft Literary Center
  • Write On, Door County

RSS My Posts at WordSisters

  • August Travel
    During the drive from home to being away, my mind travels extra time merging memories of past trips with plans for the next weeks. The years that pacifier inventory and gentle shampoo were critical has slowly morphed into double checking … Continue reading →
  • Simple Peace
    Some days you must restore your own core to keep pushing through your role in the bigger world. Continue reading →
  • National Day of Mourning
    Perhaps it is time for America to create a National Day of Mourning for gun victims.  Continue reading →
  • Wishing and Hoping
    We know better. Outdoor party plans don’t guarantee sunshine and soft breezes. We can hope for the best, but best be prepared for rain and thunder. We can wish that just this one time, the weather gods will spin the … Continue reading →
  • In Any Way You Can
    I had not heard the language of genocide until listening to interviews with regular Russian citizens. I will not forget. Continue reading →
Copyright © 2009-2019 Cynthia Krrack. All Rights Reserved. - Weaver Xtreme Theme
↑