Peaceful Walk by Barry Hughes



During these months of walking, several random days have brought to my eyes a version of the gift of this scene. A young mom and her little girl leisurely walking their dog. The little one is always dressed to the nines, outfit always complete with the perfect hat, mother and daughter always holding hands and softly chatting as they stroll. Sometimes the girl holds the leash, sometimes the mom. Their pace always calm and peaceful. Even their small dog seems content, never barking or pulling against their required restraint. They seem to float, untouched, through these troubled times.

I do not understand completely why this trio moves me so. I suppose I wonder if they somehow manage to carry this calm indoors, and how they might sustain it throughout the day. I always love a good story, so I imagine theirs, trying to guess where mom and dad  are from and how they met and when they moved into our little neighborhood. As I always do, I see a little one, obviously loved, and I wonder what their future holds.

This scene brings to mind others I have known across the years that somehow navigate life with a calm and flair most cannot muster. I’m not talking about those who don’t care about what goes on around them, there is nothing admirable about that in the slightest. No, I am talking about those who bring their own peace with them wherever they go; those who can be in the midst of struggle or pain or uncertainty and still seem to stay centered. I am thinking most of all of those who can walk alongside another through their struggle or pain or uncertainty and share freely of this gift.

I believe that such ability grows from the practice of being fully in the moment and fully with the other. As the quiet trio strolls past, I am caught up in the certainty that all there is for them in that moment is each other. There is the love that holds them close and that love only. 

What if we were to walk through this day, present to our own needs while also being fully present to the needs of those around us?Would we know a calmness in the midst of our life? Might we be useful in bringing peace to the life of another? In some small way, might we contribute to peace in this troubled world?
Why don’t we find out?

Peace.

By Barry Hughes 

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