Peace in the quiet

I made a bracelet. I know, you are all amazed. I am actually pretty amazed at myself. It isn't any bracelet; it is a meditation bracelet. In the correct manner of making this spiritual piece, you are to sit in a quiet space and meditate on the different aspects of life that each bead represents. If you know me at all, you must know that sitting and quiet are two things on my "needs improvement" list since grade school. I am spending this year working on those "needs improvement" areas, so this is a big step. I am surprised of how much this little act has changed my daily life. From the day I made it, I have been better. Simply better.

When I made the bracelet, after fighting my own chaotic thoughts stressing about how to get the string threaded , I focused and I was calm; I felt peaceful and relaxed. The bracelet has three stones in it. The red stone for a reflection on love, all of the love in my life. The love of the world, of nature, of my own family, of my husband. The next bead in the series was black, for loss and emptiness and it's value in my life. The loss of people, feelings, youth, innocence, and all else that is not longer. The final bead is a sandalwood bead, with a calming scent, bringing goodness and health. It is the vitality in everything around me. It is the life force that fills you as you breathe in.. it is finding your way home.

Each of the beads went onto a string methodically, with a pattern only my soul new how to place. Where I had great amounts of love I also needed to string the loss. As in life, so often they come side by side. I thought carefully as I placed each bead, reflecting on their meaning for my life specifically. I held each bead between two fingers and held tightly through each thought. I remembered things long lost and dreamed of things to come. It was a beautiful piece of my life, with strings extending from the closure looped through as to never end.

I wear this bracelet everyday. I have it as a reminder of what matters, for peaceful guidance through the day. It reminds me of the wholeness I felt when sitting quietly making it. It reminds me of the journey I am on and the path I have taken. It reminds me to be better to myself, and to others, as it all comes back to us in the end. It reminds me to live, and make the choices that lead to a satisfied life.

I am finding peace in the quiet.

In the silence,
Beth