This evening, I am spending the night (my first official night of camping on the Walk for Peace) in a campground just outside of Kent, Washington. As I set up camp, my sisters (Emily and Marybeth) came by to see how it was coming, and to visit for a bit. I was pleased that they detoured from their route to come by, and hope their time together this next week is enjoyable.
The park is full to capacity, yet somehow, there is a calm and Peaceful feeling as we ooze into the evening. Some folks have been out all day, and are just arriving back to the grounds, while others emerge from their tents and RVs after an afternoon inside.
The sound of children playing can be heard throughout the park, and while there are a good number of kids, the open air absorbs some of the volume from their excited voices, and there is joy in listening to them.
Earlier, I took Chandler for a Walk around the entire park, greeting folks and sharing stories of why we’re here… Chandler did some of her own meeting and greeting, with some of the kids near the playground.
Seeing an opportunity, Scarlet and Hannah asked if they could Walk Chandler for me for .50 cents, to which I said yes. Off they went, Chandler in tow for ten minutes.
When they came back, another little girl came over and sat quietly in the chair next to me. As I had with the others, I introduced myself and asked her name. Maya. I invited Maya to pet Chandler, and she was happy to oblige.
As I readied myself to leave, I asked Maya if I could take her picture with Chandler and write about her tonight (and yes, I checked with the all of the girl’s parents). She shyly said, “Really? You want to say something about me?” And I said that I did. I told her I wanted to write about her because Chandler liked her, and that I did too.
My intention today was connect to simplicity. For this Peace Walker, today was exactly that. And in this simple place, I find myself full of Peace.