Three Blessings – Peace Be Still Inspirations aim to inspire learning and practice for healthy, creative and joyful living through postings on yoga, meditation and other wellness modalities. We, especially, hope the African Diaspora finds this a giving, peaceful space.

Finding peace to nurture spirit is a personal choice. That doesn’t mean the Wednesday, April 21, verdict did not touch my soul, but it’s balanced by the 24 African American deaths by law enforcement that have occurred during 3+ weeks of the trial. Some may call me apolitical. At my age, I care less and less about what other people think of me. And really broadcasting every little nook and cranny of my inner most thoughts doesn’t work for me.

This morning, I listened to Layli Long Soldier, writer, mother, citizen of the US and Ogala Lakota Nation, on @OnBeing. The interview was a re-broadcast from March 30, 2017, but extremely poignant for these times. I recognized that at 67 I learned for the first time that 38 Lakota men were hung by order of President Lincoln the same week he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Learning that bit of history taught me, AGAIN, that let freedom ring is hollow if we all aren’t free. Therefore, finding peace to nurture spirit is a personal choice.

Thursday morning, my friend, Tom Porter, sent me some music, “Love Remains” by Bobby Watson with thoughts for a morning meditation. It was Earth Day, the sun was rising, and beginning to shine through the window. I hadn’t done a yoga practice to music in a very long while and the piece was beautiful.

Although a little cool, the front porch invited me to sit, drink coffee, admire the Adinkra and yoga symbols on my outside art piece, and reflect.

Later that day 6 dump trucks of dirt were finally delivered. There’d been almost a 3-week delay due to all the storms and the next storm was due by the weekend. I spent practically all day, Friday, fretting over when the guy was coming to spread the dirt. He finally arrived around 3:30pm and worked quickly during a steady drizzle to finish the job.

It rained late Friday night through early Saturday morning. However, rain and Spring go together in Mississippi. It may slow things down, but garden preparation and propagation continue in full swing. I got up early, drove 1-hour to Dumas, AR, and tried very hard to contain myself from purchasing too many items @Newswanger’s Produce and Garden Center. I bought a few produce items, alligator sausage, plants, and Mexican pottery for the garden. With a free cup of delicious coffee, I headed home. Got home, unloaded the truck, drove to the local Mennonite nursery for the cutest stepping stones, then to Lowes for mulch, and back home.

Saturday afternoon until sunset was spent in the garden. I’d have to wait for Sunday morning to actually see the finished product. It was a lot of work that probably awakened every muscle in my body, but I got it done. As I crawled into my soaking tub full of Dr. Teal’s Foaming Bath, “Calm Your Mind” with ashwagandha and essential oils plus my addition of lemon eucalyptus, lavender, and patchouli, I felt a true sense of accomplishment.

By mid-morning today, I spotted baby geese in the front yard, scoped out my garden, sat for a good while, and reached for the sky in peace.