“Childlike Peace”
There is nothing quite like the peace of a newborn.
They find peace in everything.
In the smell of a mother;
In the touch of a loved one,
Even in the embrace of a stranger.
For a newborn, peace looks like sleep.
They find comfort everywhere they go.
In the middle of a grocery store,
At home near a screaming sibling.
Maybe even at a concert or near a jet engine.
But not usually in the middle of the night.
Where they find sleep,
you find wakefulness, some form of it at least.
Where they find comfort,
you find cramped arms and neck pain.
No, there is nothing quite like the peace of a newborn.
There is nothing quite like the peace of a toddler.
It’s more sporadic–found a little less frequently,
Because now they have big opinions and even bigger feelings.
They find peace somewhere between the high highs and low lows.
For a toddler, peace looks like a rollercoaster:
On a track, but with a wild streak.
They find it in their routine and in freedom.
In knowing what comes next,
But still having the ability to try new things.
In jumping off of stuff and on to other stuff–like your diaphragm.
They find comfort in their people.
In a well-timed hug and ready forgiveness;
In a favorite snack or toy.
And yes, also in sleep, though they’re loath to admit it.
No, there’s nothing quite like the peace of a toddler.
There is nothing quite like the peace of a child.
They don’t actually lose the comforts from infancy or toddlerhood.
They still find peace in the arms of their loved ones,
in a routine and in freedom; in sleep.
For children, peace looks like using their newfound skills.
They find peace in reading a book, covered with a handmade blanket;
In a set of legos, which can be whatever they want it to be.
In connection with their expanding social circle.
They find peace in independence, making choices for themselves;
An independence they are still willing to forgo at times,
Humbling themselves to find comfort in a lap
They often deem themselves too old for.
No, there is nothing quite like the peace of a child.
Peace becomes slippery over time.
“Ignorance is bliss”, and all that.
The peace of sleep becomes elusive as we mull over
The wars
The injustices
The insecurities.
But perhaps it isn’t the ignorance of world news
That brings such sure-footed peace.
Perhaps taking a page out of the book of children isn’t so much
ignoring the atrocities of the world and turning away our eyes of witness,
but remembering our security in the love that surrounds us.
Maybe childlike peace is unhindered trust and security
in the one who is trustworthy and safe.
May we live freely in that kind of peace.
A peace which we strive for rather than stumble upon.
A childlike peace.
