Two Christmases ago the kiddos got a zip line from Santa Claus. I guess Santa failed to do much research before having his elves put this one together because we really didn’t have appropriate trees to accommodate this mountain of fun. A year past and we failed to hang the zip line up.
The kids didn’t seem too upset about it, as we always have so much going on. There are always millions of things to do. Then, something odd happened. I saw the zip line in the garage and decided it HAD to go up. I pulled the box from its place and let it nag me for a few more months.
Then, the seasons changed and Hubs hired a tree company (shoutout to AC Tree company out of West Chester!) to remove a few trees from our property. There is a significant wooded section in our backyard with a ton of trees, shrubs, vines, and super random things growing. After the company came to cut out a huge tree, I suddenly realized that a part of our wood section has a broad flat section. I suddenly saw A LOT of super flat land. There were only two problems (1) the entire area was covered in thorny pricker bushes and (2) there wasn’t a path or a way to access the flat area.
Well, call me crazy. Or call me a problem solver. Or call me a crazy amazing problem solver. I cut into the land. I cleared a path. A found the least steep spot I could and carved out a footpath. Then, over the course of a few days, I cleared the thorny bushes. A lot of them. Slowly. Little by little. But you know what? I found a new patch of land I didn’t even know we could use. And Hubs found two trees where would could easily hang a zip line.
I would not call this an easy feat. But it was incredible. And empowering. Can you think of a better project to make you feel strong than hauling ass and yanking vines and mischievous plants from the earth?
No, you can’t. Maybe liken it to labor? I felt pretty strong and incredible after giving birth.
I wrangled those weeds and obnoxious greens like Wonder Woman and loved every minute. And when it was all done, my kids had a new space where they can play, be creative, run, jump, and zip their little hearts out. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Next time you’re feeling a little down, a little less than, a little wanton for something more, consider building something. Anything. Go use your hands and your mind and make something. Even if it’s in a place you never knew was there to begin with.
Because at the end of all this, while I may have felt proud and glad for the kiddos and totally pleased with myself, I also felt peace. I felt that calm knowing fall on my heart that abundance is everywhere. And everything I needed was already staring me in the face.
What brought you peace this week? Share the peace.
4 the Love of Peace 