Peace, be still. . . .

I have been far less kind and charitable in recent months than is my usual habit and inclination.  I have been far less patient.  I have retreated deeply back into my sarcastic habits.  I have been more vulgar (which for me generally means being more blunt than usual and using "hell" and "damn" a lot--being tired and physically out of sorts only worsens that habit, I'm afraid).  I have been more judgmental than I usually am, more quick to assume the worst--well, maybe not the worst, but more bad than good.  These things are all very contrary to the person I have been most of my life, I don't like myself very much when I behave this way.

Much of it is due to fatigue and frustrations that began before I even got pregnant, and those things have continued to prove more and more difficult, even as my hormones and tired muscles and achy everything have exaggerated those difficulties and my reaction have become poorer and poorer.

Keilana has been in love with the song "Give Said the Little Stream" lately, singing it often.  If you're not familiar:

"Give," said the little stream,

"give oh give, give oh give,

"give," said the little stream

as it hurried down the hill.

"I'm small I know, but wherever I go

"the grass grows greener still."

Singing, singing all the way, 

"Give oh give, oh give away."

Singing, singing all the way, 

"Give oh give away."

One of the reasons we have children is to help keep us focused and remind us what is good when we have perhaps momentarily lost sight of it.  Another children's song we don't sing very often, a Christmas song, says, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."

How to we find peace?  Just as the little stream, give oh give away.  No matter how small the difference, if we simply strive to be generous spirits (with our money, our time, our talents, ourselves), we may make a parched bit of earth a bit greener.  And that's enough.

Let there be peace on earth.  And let it begin with me.