Day 4. Pilgrimage...

And so we walk…

The word pilgrimage conjures up images of walks for religious purposes yet going on a pilgrimage doesn’t have to be specific to a faith. Perhaps it's as simple as a walk with a purpose. According to Wikipedia, a pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. There are many famous pilgrim walks including Camino de Santiago de Compostela and to Mecca but even thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail might admit to tackling the arduous trip for some introspection and soul-searching. Or maybe some lesser known trails that might serve the purpose of a pilgrimage including The Hebridean Way in Scotland, Caminno di Francesco (St. Francis Way) in Italy, or Nambe Falls to the El Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico.

Perhaps a pilgrimage is as simple as taking a walk with purpose… being present with each step.

I do my best thinking while walking, at times my thoughts fly around like a hummingbird but always, I return refreshed and renewed. I’ve never gone for a walk that I later regretted.

Last spring, I had an opportunity to visit the El Santuario de Chimayo in northern New Mexico. I wasn’t sure what to expect… 1000’s of people regardless of denomination or religious (or lack thereof) affiliation visit this little chapel in the rural mountains outside of Santa Fe. To say it was moving would not do justice to this sacred place. My mum and I walked around the grounds all afternoon healing, recovering, absorbing and just being…

Going for a walk with purpose whether it’s a mile or 2000 is good for what ails us…

Take your knitting along and stop to knit a few stitches along the way (weather depending).

As we walk along this path we call peace, I would be remiss if I didn’t include that going for a walk is not always an option for everyone, not all bodies are “able.” I’ve just begun reading Handywoman by Kate Davies, the knitwear designer extraordinaire from Scotland. It’s made me think about life in a new way… how we come to terms with who we are. But that’s a story for another day.

Peace seed #4.

Today’s seed is simple… be a pilgrim… let’s go for a walk with purpose, if able.

Or at least the task seems simple at first glance but to practice presence maybe a bit more challenging.

So, today, head out for a stroll, be mindful of your steps, breathe in the fresh air, take note of your surroundings, the colors, the textures, the seasonal landscape.

pause, presence, purpose…

“I began my pilgrimage on the first of January in 1953. It is my spiritual birthday of sorts. It was a period in which I was merged with the whole. No longer was I a seed buried under the ground, but I felt as a flower reaching out effortlessly toward the sun.”

— Peace Pilgrim

More information on Peace Pilgrim can be found here.

Day 3. Be present...

“Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

And we continue…

I learned to knit when I was 9, one year after my mum taught me to sew. Making played a pivotal role during my childhood, as a foundation for my relationship with my mum and a creative outlet. I made a garter stitch rectangle from the brightest shade of yellow, a doll blanket. I’m not sure what happened to my “swatch” but learning to knit propelled me into a world of independence and comfort. I set the needles aside while in college and started again 10 years later, pregnant with our first child.

When I returned to knitting in my late 20’s, we had very little disposable income and with a baby on the way, spending money on knitting supplies wasn’t in our budget. I received a gift of $20 to purchase a skein of yarn and needles from a little yarn shop tucked away in the hills of southeast Ohio. In this remote shop, I found a skein of yarn called “Peace Fleece” and hand painted needles made by the same company. I read the story of the company and how the owner, Peter Hagerty had an idea in the mid-80’s during the height of the Cold War to blend fleece from his flock with sheep from Russia in the name of peace. His vision was to create a yarn that symbolized the collaboration of people from two opposing nations.

Samples of peace fleece needles

This meaningful purchase, this yarn with a story has been a motivating force in my life. So, when I had the opportunity this fall to meet and chat with Peter Hagerty from Peace Fleece I was over the moon excited and nervous. Finally, a chance to meet this man with a vision to create a yarn that captures peace in action. To talk with this man who contributed to sparking my love of knitting and perhaps even cultivated my interest in the relationship between knitting and peace.

And here’s what happened during my amazing conversation that is relevant to today’s peace “seed.” I explained Project Peace and my desires to spread peace around the world through knitting. He sat there with his hand under his jaw and listened intently. He said very little and as this silence grew, I began to get nervous… Was I boring him? Did he think this was silly? Ludicrous? The silence was beginning to feel extremely awkward. I paused.

He took a deep breath.

And then he spoke.

“I’m not sure what I have to offer you but I can tell you this…

be present.”

I sat there feeling a bit reactive… What? Present? Why is he telling me to be present? I’m here aren’t I? I’m paying attention… how does this “offering” relate to Project Peace and knitting?

And then I took a deep breath and let the words perfuse my being.

Be present.

And there it was… the need to be present.

Let go of the agenda, the busy-ness, the assumptions, the listening without comprehending, the squirreling about all day long.

Be present.

Just be…

Mr. Hagerty mentioned his use of horses to work the land on his farm. If he approached the horses with a forceful, authoritative, let’s get it done attitude and then allowed his mind to wander throughout the work, the horses knew. It never went as planned and the horses took over… But if he approached the horses with a collaborative spirit, was present and open to working with the horses; the work was productive, pleasant and rewarding.

Peter Hagerty’s memoir.

We later moved our conversation outside and sat under the stars talking about cultivating peace. The Milky Way seemed just out of hands reach while we chatted with the soothing lull of the waves returning over and over as they embraced the rocky Maine shoreline. You’ve heard of love stories… well, this was a peace-story. And it was here that I knew that if I found nothing else to write about for 21 days, that the most important message was right here… in this moment… be present.

A memory that will last a lifetime. Thank you Mr. Hagerty for taking the time to be present.

Peace seed #3.

Be present.

Peace is presence.

We are busy, so very busy, rushing here and there just like a squirrel.

Today, take the time to be present. Whether it’s during a conversation with a friend, co-worker, family member or while you are taking a walk, studying, grading, listening to a pod-cast, working in a garden, cooking a meal, eating, or grocery shopping. Maybe while you are knitting or reading or even watching t.v.

Don’t tune out but rather tune in.

Our daily lives are filled with the opportunity to be present. And there in the midst of presence you may just hear the whispers of peace.

~Christina

Day 2. The letter "P"...

And so, here we are…

“A pause gives you
breathing space
so listen
to the whispers
of the real you
waiting to happen.”

— Tara Estacaan

But what does it mean?

That word… peace.

I recently attended a talk on “networking.” We were asked to chat with a neighbor about anything we wanted… so everyone naturally began talking about the weather, the traffic, where to get good coffee… you know, that typical conversation you might have with someone you don’t know.

Then we were asked to dive deeper with this stranger. Have a memorable conversation. My partner and I stared at each other until that silence became just a little uncomfortable. I had to fill in that space, that void, I needed to have words buzzing about…

And so, I broke that space of discomfort… “What does peace mean to you?” I asked. The silence continued; then she sheepishly said “wow, that’s a big question. I’m not so sure I know how to answer that.” Turn about’s fairplay I suppose. She did the most expected thing one does in a situation without an answer… she asked me “well, what do you think peace is?”

Now I’d done it. In 1-2 sentences I was supposed to sum up peace. How could I do this? And there it was… out on the table. What does peace mean?

I think about the “path of peace” image from Day 1 and reflect on the multi-faceted word that is peace. And when I begin to put peace into words my mind shifts to other words that describe peace… and that takes me down the rabbit hole of words that begin with the letter “p.”

Pause.

Perseverance.

Personal.

The list goes on…

Peace seed #2…

Today, I ask you to pause and ponder the meaning of peace. If we can’t describe it, how can we practice it.

Create a space where you can pause and sit with the silence. Perhaps you can get out of bed before anyone else and sit in the still of the morning…with or without your knitting, no phone.

So, take a few moments of your day, whether you are knitting or not and think about what peace means to you. If you need a way to get started, might I suggest you begin with listing words that begin with the letter “P.”

What does peace means to me?

What would it feel like if I had more peace in my life?

Pause and listen to the whispers… of peace.

~Christina

Day 1. Path of peace...

And so we begin…

“Peace... this we choose each day.”

— Anonymous

Over the past three years marked by the beginning of Project Peace, I have been on a journey learning what it means to live a peaceful life… what that means to me and to others. I suppose a seed was planted that fateful day almost 14 years ago, when I attended a leadership conference and a speaker asked “How many of you want world peace?” Everyone raised a hand. We were then asked “How many of you actively choose peace each day in your own lives?” The hands went down. I don’t recall one hand staying up in that room of over 500 women.

So, if we wanted world peace but we weren’t doing anything as individuals to accomplish this goal how could we ever expect to achieve world peace? It dawned on me that “world peace” was perhaps an expectation that it would someday arrive. All we have to do is wait… passively, for it to be delivered. Right?

And now, peace is on my mind all the time. It enters into every interaction I have with someone… maybe successfully, perhaps not. Peace is a process, not a destination. Project Peace 2018 is about the lessons learned on cultivating peace and using knitting as a way to bring peace to our lives intentionally, mindfully, and in simple ways.

One of my biggest realizations this year has been how others perceive the word “peace.” When I chat with people about “peace” I receive many different reactions, not always positive. We’ve used this word so casually over the years (think “peace out”) that it’s lost some of the meaning. Part of my journey with peace has been an awareness that the diversity of what this word represents is part of the complexity of promoting and adopting a peaceful, not passive, way of life. As we navigate the next 21 days, I’ll ask you to explore what peace means to you…

There is peace as an individual, within a family, community, country, and globally; the strategies to create peace differ at each level. Project Peace is focused on cultivating peace in our daily lives so that we can begin to influence the other levels of peace.

I created the “path of peace” to provide a visual of the varying levels of peace. I’ve chosen to represent this as a pyramid to reflect that individual choices provide the foundation for peace. It really does start with each one of us. Peace at the individual level is grass-roots peace… it is the seed that nourishes all else. I’ve noticed and received feedback that some feel guilty focusing on “self” or think that “inner” peace is not important. Feel guilty no more… it is germane to our success.

The Path of Peace… the knitted way.

This year’s theme for Project Peace is “seeds of peace.” The idea for this cowl was conceived during Project Peace 2017 when a participant commented how the blog posts were like seeds. Over the winter months, I allowed the theme “seeds of peace” to percolate…  as if the idea was buried in the frozen winter earth awaiting the opportunity to spring forward. During the summer months, I walked and thought, traveled, met inspiring people, all the while, nourishing the design. In the early fall, the cowl came to life, a rib stitch that symbolizes rows in a garden surrounded by seeds, separated by three panels of half-triangles, a common quilt motif called “flying geese.” Each panel of geese represents one of the three Greek goddesses, Dike (justice), Eunomia (order), and Eirene (peace) to remind us that peace doesn’t stand alone, requiring order and justice for peace to be realized. Each panel begins with one large goose to remind us that we must at times lead but also be ready to bring up the rear. I’ve a fondness for geese and love how they work collectively to accomplish greatness yet they are individual creatures.

And now with Project Peace 2018, I release this pattern as if the idea is falling from the trees and returning to the earth to continue the cycle with hopes, dreams, intentions, and a commitment to a peaceful future.

Peace Seed #1

Attached is a “map of intentions.” A friend (Thank you Anne!) drew an image of the Project Peace 2018 peace loop (aka cowl) with 3 pillars of the flying geese separated by the seeded rib stitch. We’ve included a total of 21 geese on the map, one for each of the 21 days of Project Peace. Regardless of how many geese you are actually knitting, perhaps you are knitting a different pattern, or maybe not knitting at all, you can use this map to guide your intentions.

Today, print this map and write down your intention. Decide how you’d like to navigate the “geese.” Maybe you set an intention on day 1 that has to do with peace, on day 2, it’s an intention for order and on the third day for justice; maybe your intention is a word or a person. As you knit that day, think of your intention. Keep track on the map and by the end of Project Peace you’ll have a list of 21 people, items, causes, etc. that are most dear to you.

Click on this document to access a pdf version so you can print your map.

You are a seed of peace… you are the foundation by which we can affect change at other levels. Peace begins as a daily choice; not always easy but most often an option.

With one seed, we can feed many.

Plant seeds of peace, nurture that seed to bring peace to self, family, community, the people of our world, and this beautiful earth.

With each stitch, step, and breath… peace.

Let’s begin!

~Christina