Protecting My Peace in a World That Feels So Loud

Lately I think a lot about peace. My home is my little safe place, and I want to keep it quiet and full of calm, even when the world outside feels angry and dark.

When I wake up and drink my tea, I want to feel safe and thankful. I look around my kitchen, my husband still sleeping, the dog by the door, and I think — this is my world. I must protect it. Not just with locks on the door, but with what I allow inside my mind and heart.

I do not need to let every news, every bad story, every argument from the internet come into my home. I can choose to make this house soft and warm, a place where my husband feels peace when he comes home from work, and where I can rest my mind.

It is 5:15pm the air feels so heavy right now, like I cannot take a deep breath. There is a pressure in my chest that will not go away, and my hands feel cold. I sit and try to calm myself, but my mind keeps running in circles. It feels like maybe a panic attack is coming, like the world is pressing too close to me. I close my eyes and whisper a prayer, asking God to hold me together and bring peace back into my heart. A lot has changed in the last couple of weeks, a lot happened.

The other day I saw the Bible my best friend gave me before I left Ukraine. It’s been with me ever since, always close by, though sometimes I forget it’s there. Seeing it lying out, I felt this sudden pull to pick it up. She loved using highlighters, so every page has little bursts of color. I read the verses she marked, and maybe it’s just because I miss her so much. Somehow, when I read from that Bible, the ache of missing her feels a little lighter.

We talk every day, but it’s not the same. She is living through a war, and I’m over here across the ocean, safe and blessed. And sometimes, I forget how lucky I am. Sitting there with that Bible in my hands, I felt small and quiet — but also grateful. Grateful that even from so far away, a part of her is still with me.

From now on, I want to focus more on writing here, on this little corner of the internet. Social media has been making my mind noisy and tired. It’s like it pulls me away from real life. I want to protect my mind, nurture it, and grow as a person. I want to notice the small moments, the quiet gifts, and share them with you here — without the rush and chaos.

Maybe you feel it too — that heaviness, that pull to slow down and really live. If you do, I hope this reminds you to pause, to look around, to be thankful. Pick up the book you’ve been meaning to read. Write a letter to a friend. Go for a walk. Protect your peace like it’s treasure, because it is.

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On that note : I'm going to make myself some tea and go hangout with my fam.

Feel free to write to me, I'm here and I would love to hear about your life a bit.

Ana