Serene,
calm, and beautiful is how I would describe the photo below of the sun
rising over Corte Madera Creek. One of the reasons I love to get up
early is the joy I feel as I see sunrises over the creek behind our
home. The beautiful, calm, and serene views give me great joy and a
feeling of serenity. Seeing the photo, below, brings back those
feelings. I hope you feel serenity and joy as you look at the photo now.
Photo by Margaux Joy DeNador
Serenity. I love to see that word. I love what it means and how it feels. I love
how I feel in places and thoughts that are serene.
Serenity feels good. Just seeing the word, hearing the word, and saying the
word – to myself or out loud – reminds me of how serenity feels.
Serenity feels calm, peaceful, relaxed, and present. It feels like joy.
The word serenity brings to mind places I’ve visited that feel serene.
One of the reasons I loved to visit my Mom’s home during the summers was
that I always felt surrounded by serenity. I loved to sit near the pool and talk
with her. We could hear a stream flowing by behind us. The clear, sparkly
aqua water of the pool was right in front of us. The bright blue of the sky
and the warm golden sunshine helped us feel relaxed and serene.
The first time I saw The Serenity Prayer was in my grandmother’s art studio.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the
courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
My grandmother had a copy of the prayer on her easel. She saw that prayer
every time she worked on one of her oil paintings. When I think back to the
paintings she created, they were all beautiful and serene.
My grandmother’s home was always serene. Serenity must have been one of
her core values. She created a home that was beautiful, clean, and always
serene. My grandmother’s birthday was in July so it feels like the perfect
time for me to be writing about serenity!
Serenity is healing to our mind, body, and spirit. It calms us, and it is calm.
It is beautiful and blissful.
Picture yourself in a serene place.
Where are you?
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you feel?
Serenity is a “place” we can go whenever we are willing to close our eyes
and visualize it. You can choose to do it for 2-5 minutes whenever you want
to feel the tranquility that serenity gives as its gift.
To read more about serenity, click on this link to read Debra Oakland's "Living in Courage" newsletter for July 2013.
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