Our world is noisy and loud, it moves fast, and if we let it, the noise can constantly invade our awareness. There are still places in the world, of course, where we can go to separate ourselves from it all and find quiet and solitude, that outward peace that can calm troubled spirits. Not all of us have the ability to go to those places, but the truth is that peace is not just a place, it is a state of being. And all of us can go there. We can keep the world at bay, as it were, to recover, rejuvenate, to recharge. There are several roads to that state of being; meditation and simple quiet time are two that work best for most of us. It takes a bit of practice to focus and concentrate on something, someone, a place, or an event that is calming and empowering. I often think about the plateau above the Little White River where I lived for a few years with my grandparents.

Our log house stood on a rise above a gully, and we had a panoramic view of the prairies and hills around. My childhood there was happy and carefree, and the image of it in my memory always chases away the cares and worries of the moment. It always strengthens me, drives away stress, and lets me pause to reflect, renew, and find peace. In such moments, when I go back to that place, I feel the presence of my grandparents, and I am reminded that peace is not so much the absence of conflict and chaos as the ability to be centered, calm, quiet-for one moment or many-in the midst of chaos. I wish you peace. Book jacket.