Hi Reader!
The importance of pockets
I just finished sewing a romper for my granddaughter. It’s got astronauts and planets against a pink background. Sewing is a lost art for the most part. It’s so easy to purchase clothes these days, and going thrift store shopping is fun. But I love sewing. I love it as a low-key creative outlet. I’m not a seamstress—in the same way, I am not a gourmet cook. More of a throw-it-together kind of girl. Still, I find it calming and sensual, playing with colors and fabric.
When I finished the little romper and held it up, I realized its fatal flaw: no pockets! My 2-year-old granddaughter had previously made it clear that clothing needed pockets. No pockets bring a frown, while pockets bring a big grin.
I’ll remedy the pink astronaut romper and add beloved pockets. It got me thinking about pockets and their importance. Early this week, I quipped on social media about finding pockets of peace on our drive from Las Vegas to Seattle.
In a week fraught with medical mysteries, uncertainty, worry, and changed plans, it took some diligence to keep allowing pockets of peace to inform our experience. So, we intentionally took some time off on our three-and-a-half-day drive up. We went out of our way to go on our annual pilgrimage hike to the Stone Church near Lone Pine and also spent an evening and morning at Breitenbush Hot Springs. Breitenbush Hot Springs is about two hours from Portland in the middle of the woods with a sweet, wholesome, community-oriented vibe. There is no cell service there, so entertainment is limited to walking, talking, reading, soaking, meditating, and eating the delicious vegetarian fare they serve.
We wanted to be present for a sick family member but realized we also needed to unplug and rest in peace when possible. It didn’t have to be long, just a few small, isolated periods of peace and tranquility tucked away amidst the chaos and the long drive north—a couple of pockets of peace.
The history of pockets is interesting and has, in the past, reinforced gender inequality. In an article by Forage Design, I learned that men were allowed pockets much earlier than women until Suffragettes led the way, adding pockets to their clothing to symbolize the change they sought. Women, who had previously been forced to carry their possessions in inconvenient and impractical ways, began to demand clothing with pockets—just like my granddaughter. The article states, “Pockets represented not only practicality but also autonomy and freedom.”
While the term “pockets of peace” came naturally to me when I wrote my Instagram post earlier this week, I learned that Nabela Noor—a social media influencer—popularized the term during COVID-19. She encouraged her followers to look for and appreciate small moments of joy during a challenging time, calling these “Pockets of Peace.” These could be simple experiences like baking, sleeping in, or cleaning the house—or perhaps, as in my case, going for a hike, soaking at hot springs, or sewing a romper.
In many ways, pockets of peace are similar to what I have previously referred to as tiny moments of delight—or moments of pure presence when we are relaxed and focused on what is before us. When we dip into these, we notice more of them. Society typically conditions us to pay attention to “what’s wrong,” but intentionally seeking out and noticing the qualities of little pockets of peace helps us experience more of them.
I was interviewed this week by Rev. Carol Saunders of The Spiritual Forum Podcast. During our talk, we visited the idea of “rapt attention.” Can you recall the last time you did something in rapt attention? It’s such a good litmus test for presence because it captures the feeling of everything else falling away while presence with what is reigns. We actually dip into rapt attention all the time—though, again, we often overlook it. You know that moment when the sun dips and the sky explodes in color, and we are momentarily mesmerized? Or maybe it’s that first sip of coffee, listening to a friend’s captivating story, playing with a pet or grandchild, singing to a favorite song, rock climbing, or just sitting on the couch relaxing when you let thoughts about the day go and experience yourself fully as you are.
In my talk with Rev Carol, we talked about how healing it can be to spend some moments in rapt attention with our beloved partner and then translated that to what it might feel like to be in rapt attention—in the form of quiet solitude—with ourselves. We talked about creating intimacy with the divine.
I wasn’t thinking of it this way then, but another way of describing intimacy with the divine might be “pockets of peace.” When we are one with the moment, we are at peace.
Amid the chaos, it might help to actively seek out opportunities that more readily afford us the experience—like unplugging from electronics. But, as we practice, we begin to get the knack of finding them wherever we are, whatever is going on.
Like my granddaughter and the suffragettes discovered, the joy and freedom of literal pockets, pockets of peace, give us the freedom to be present with whatever is as it is.
If you’re inspired to explore more about finding peace and presence in everyday moments, I invite you to check out my book Naked in the Now. In it, I delve deeper into practices for cultivating intimacy with the divine and finding those precious pockets of peace in our busy lives. And if you’ve already read it, I’d be grateful if you could leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads – your thoughts help others discover these transformative practices.
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The pink astronaut romper with pockets! |
Smiles,
https://marijkemccandless.com
Kirkus Reviews endorses Naked in the Now!
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