Kindness & Calm
In recent conversations, I have heard a growing sense of uncertainty coupled with a deep longing for a calm and kinder world. I identify with this growing sense because the chaos in our culture is very unsettling to me. I find myself longing for a deeper sense of connectedness. At times like this, I process - a lot!
My processing has reminded me of the Amish and conservative Mennonite families and communities that surround me here in south central PA. I interact with them most during the gardening season, purchasing food and baked goods from them, benefiting from their skill and hard work. This is my window to their world. I experience the kindness and calm I am longing for when I interact with them. As our world has become more chaotic, theirs seems to be relatively untouched. I wonder if it results from a simpler way of life?
This wondering has led me to explore a lifestyle we refer to as homesteading. The lifestyle seems to be gaining a lot of traction, particularly among young families. Participants talk a lot about sustainability and self sufficiency. It is interesting to discover that though they work hard at being self sufficient, they have their own networks. They support and encourage one another. They share skills they have learned and they receive help and instruction from others. Even “self sufficiency” needs a network of relationships.
I suspect that their networks are similar to that within the Amish and conservative Mennonite communities around me. It is a network of family, friends and neighbors that depend upon each other. They actively consider how they can help one another in accomplishing their goals. They do things together which builds strength and value in their relationships. I suspect that strong networks are ones where the participants don’t try to do everything on their own, but they work together well.
Realistically, I am well past the stage of life to begin a full on homestead. I realize that though I value the lifestyle of farming and homesteading, it is the connectedness that appeals to me most. I need to open my hands and heart to both give and receive more readily to my own networks. I believe that in doing so, the things I value most will become more readily available to me and to those I love. Perhaps the kindness and the calm that comes with the love and support of others is readily available in any community network.
My processing has helped me discover that the life environment I long for is much closer than I thought. If I am willing to share from my life experience with my network of relationships intentionally I can strengthen that network. Kindness and the love and support of others is within reach. I just need to do the reaching - both in giving and receiving. I suspect that this is true for others as well.
Maybe you haven’t encountered this uncertainty as regularly as I have, and yet maybe these thoughts will challenge your thinking. If you have, my hope is that you are challenged as I have been to think about what you can bring to others as well as what you can receive from them. The balance of this exchange contributes to its strength. It is both the giving and receiving that build value in our relationships and develop the kindness and calm that so many of us are longing for.
May you experience kindness dwell in a calm place during these interesting times,