Perhaps one of the things that surprises me the most about writing this weekly column is that I never seem to run out of topics about which to write. Since Easter is approaching this weekend, I wanted to come up with something special, and it looked as if I would have trouble finding just the right subject matter. Then the other day I came across a little verse written by John Burroughs entitled, “Too Little Time”. He wrote:

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. The longer I live the more my mind dwells upon the beauty and the wonder of the world.”

Perhaps that is exactly what makes life so precious. As you get older and begin to realize that the days you have used are gone forever, you begin to look more closely at the world around you and discover the wonder and beauty that was there all the time. Realizing that your days are numbered and that all of this could end at any time makes every moment so much more valuable. Becoming more and more enchanted with the splendours of life makes you long for more time to enjoy them all. Yet time is beyond our control. This awareness of our mortality is perhaps the real definition of inner peace.

Being peaceful, therefore, is not necessarily being in a state of quiet and solitude, shut off from the rumble of the rest of the activities of the world. Rather, being peaceful means being able to notice the true beauty in the middle of a storm. It means being fully aware of your surroundings and seeing things that others may not.

Let me demonstrate by telling you a story about a King who lived long ago.

“The King offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror with peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. "Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

So as you are going through the rest of the week, preparing to celebrate Easter with your family and friends, remember this little story. If you find yourself in the middle of turmoil, either at home or at work, look carefully around and see if you can find a little spec of peace in the middle of the turbulence. If you look hard enough, you will discover peace and it will help you make sense out of the chaos and get through your challenges.

These are not the best of times in the Greater Sudbury Area. So many of our family and friends are either without employment or earning much less than they need to make ends meet. Our food banks are finding it extremely difficult to keep up with the demand for their services. According to the latest census report, over 40 people per week are moving out of the city in search of a new life elsewhere. There is trouble with our health system and our education system. All levels of government seem to be out of control and lacking direction. Municipal government is facing huge deficits, implying higher taxes or service cuts. The Provincial government is facing the same problem. Crime is everywhere. Senseless brutality headlines just about every newscast. Our senior citizens are facing a life of poverty as they outlive their meagre pensions and savings. Our children face a life of uncertainty with parents who have less and less commitment to long-term relationships. It is hard to expect to find peace in the midst of all of this strife.

Yet, the world in which we live is a peaceful place. There are moments of peace all around. Along with unemployment and poverty comes the peace of discovering the true love of the people around you who care. Volunteers working in the food banks find peace in their hearts as they help those in need, and the people who use the food banks discover a peace of belonging in a caring community. As people return to our community from elsewhere, they find peace that local residents overlooked and help us become aware of the good things we have in the Greater Sudbury Area. The community has come together to help raise funds to improve our health system; parents are taking more time to work with their children and are finding peace in sharing the discovery of knowledge with young boys and girls. Crime and brutality brings out supporting neighbours and heros who step forward in times of need. Senior citizen organizations are being created to help the elderly, and more importantly, the elderly are being asked to use their experience and wisdom to contribute to the community in valuable ways.

Yes, we live in a stormy world, but there is peace in the middle of the storm. Remember, only the King could spot the mother bird sitting on her nest behind the waterfall. Even if the storm continues around us, we will all become more aware of the beauty and wonder of the world and discover a peaceful calmness in our heart among this tempest we call life.