The Peace of the Home.

My grandmother always said, "Put the peace of the house before yourself." In one remark she taught me the value of the mass and the eco-system as a whole - over the individual. In the world we live in, at large, there is an enormous emphasis on the individual, on independence and the self. Our direction, our dreams and our futures matter more than community - as we strive for more, for better and bigger.

Still, the collective peace and the collective balance enriches us individually - as we see ourselves as part of one forest, one home and one resource. Whilst, a sense of space and separation is essential for a healthy life - it is also vital that we protect our sense of belonging and the tribe - particularly in this fast paced society. Much like the mycelium network beneath a forest or a garden, we are made of different shapes, heights, smells and colours - and yet we live on the same land and under the same sky.

It is easy to focus on what differentiates and divides us, but by preserving and tending to what feeds us collectively; what unites us as a house and a whole - we can bolster, restore and nurture peace within our daily lives.

The man on the bus with tension on his mind is your brother; the woman carrying a heavy shop is your neighbour; and the child looking lost in the park is your nephew. What we do matters. How we tend to each other and how we keep the peace of the home is everything.

In ancient folklore, keeping the balance of the land was expected from all. To take enough and not too much fruit, grain and meat - as well as keeping the peace and avoiding disorder was expected. Whenever the land becomes infertile and barren, it is the result of overindulgence, greed and chaos.

If we can uphold some of these ancient practices, we might protect our energy reserves by sharing the load, taking time for the collective and participating in a joint experience that is life.

We all have an innate uniqueness and it is important to enrich and amplify those parts of ourselves that are wild, buoyant and full of vitality. At the same time, we can always strive to look out for the collective peace, the tribe as a whole and to look at our home as something shared - as is the experience of being and living alongside together.