Before The Noise

The quiet ripple of peace

Last night, I slept. 

Peacefully, held by the distant thunder of fireworks and celebration. The sky spoke in bursts of color and sound, and at first, the dogs startled at every kaboom, their bodies tense with confusion. I drew them close, arms wrapping reassurance around their trembling frames. I whispered calm without words. Eventually, their breathing slowed. Mine did too. We slept. 

When I woke at 3 a.m., the house was still; sacred in its silence. The dogs lay tangled together, somehow curled and sprawled all at once, bellies exposed, paws twitching in dreams. I smiled. I gave thanks for their peace and recognized the quiet truth resting there with us: my calm had become their calm. My rest, their rest. Peace is contagious when it's embodied. 

I drifted back into sleep and woke again to morning light slipping softly through the cracks of the window; gentle, unannounced, patient. For a moment, instinct urged me to rise quickly, to move, to do. Then I remembered: how I begin matters. 

So I stayed still. 

One hand on my heart. One on my stomach. I checked in. I slowed my breath. I calmed my nervous system. I cleared the static of thought and gave thanks for this day, for their peace, for mine. I smiled toward heaven, grateful for being carried through 2025 and welcomed into 2026. Gratitude settled me into my body like an anchor. 

Then I rose and stepped into the world. 

My first run of the new year was unhurried and present. Each step met the earth with awareness. Each breath welcomed the air as if it were new. Scripture passed through my mind, not demanding attention, just offering companionship. I acknowledged it and kept moving. 

When my thoughts tried to rush ahead to lists, responsibilities, and expectations, I gently redirected them.

We move with grace. 
With calm.
With peace.
With ease. 

All is well. All unfolds in divine timing. There is nothing to chase. There is only this moment to inhabit fully, this breath, this body, this now. 

And that is how the year began. 

Let your presence be the atmosphere you carry. 
Let your peace lead your steps. 
Let your beginning be shaped with intention, gratitude, and God. 

Welcome to the first day of a new year!

With love, 

Stacie J.