For as long as I can remember, I have always loved gift shops. I have memories of going to different places with my parents, walking around the gift shop and wishing I had money to buy that perfect memento. As a kid, my funds were limited so I would usually end up leaving with only a free brochure or pamphlet. It didn’t matter what it was, I just liked having a tangible reminder of the experience that I could look back on and remember the fun that we had as a family. This love of hunting for the perfect souvenir has not changed as I have gotten older and if anything, it has only gotten stronger. It has become such an expected event in our family that whenever we go somewhere, we build in time for a gift shop visit. The joke in our family is, if we are out doing something fun and one of the kids asks, “Where’s Dad?”, the answer is usually, “In the gift shop.” Most of the time I end up buying something like a magnet, t-shirt or picture frame. However, on one particular gift shop visit a few months ago, I found something a little more meaningful.
My family and I had just finished a wonderful day exploring the National Shrine of our Lady of the Snows. We visited the different chapels and grottos, walked through the way of the cross, lit prayer candles and prayed a decade of the Rosary. The day was such a blessing and is one of my favorite outings that we have ever had as a family. This joy of a day ended, of course, with a trip to the gift shop. My kids are developing a similar love of collecting souvenirs and as they were looking around and dreaming of that perfect gift as I had done as a child, I wandered back to the clearance section. Which, if they have one, is my favorite section to visit on any gift shop excursion because the only thing I love more than finding the perfect item is getting a deal on said item. As I was looking through the sale shelf, something caught my eye. It was a little one and a half by three inch wood block with two simple words printed on it – Find Peace. I was out of work at the time and struggling to find a sense of peace among all the fear, stress and uncertainty that I was feeling in my life. I was not sure what I would do with it, but I felt a strong desire to buy it considering my situation. Seeing the price tag of $1.06 helped seal the deal. When we got home, I placed it on my dresser in a location that I could see when I woke up in the morning and went to sleep at night. In addition to serving as a reminder of that wonderful visit, seeing those words every day motivated me to find peace among the chaos.
Finding peace in our daily lives is a goal we all strive for but sadly, one that often results in failure. For me it seems like a constant struggle, with my challenges and frustrations fighting against my desire for inner peace. I do have moments of peace throughout the day, but they are usually short lived as the routines of daily life eventually take over. It then becomes a challenge to find my way back.
The simple inexpensive gift that I purchased that day helps me get back on the right path and reminds me to try to find peace in everything I do. One of the ways I accomplish this is by remembering how I felt that day. I think about how close I felt to God and my family as we explored the beautiful grounds of the shrine. It was a joy that I had not felt in a while and the memories of that day exemplify what peace means to me – God and family.
First, and most important, I find peace in my life through God. Through my faith and through my conversations with God, I can find that sense of calmness and discover the ability to see past the noise. As part of my daily prayers, I pray for peace. I offer up my worries and ask for guidance to help me relax and to find those peaceful moments throughout my day. Some days are harder than others but when I do find those moments, they are a true gift. As Pope Francis stated in 2016, “Peace itself is a gift of God, a gift to ask for trustfully in prayer.” When I pray and contemplate on God’s undying love, I can feel His loving hand and His presence in my life.
There are many distractions that can lead us away from God and disrupt our sense of peace. For me, at the time of that visit, the stress of unemployment was weighing on my mind and I was struggling to find my way. Spending time with my family and God provided me with a sense of renewal. A renewed hope for the future, a renewed sense of my life’s purpose and a renewal of my faith. As I would start to stray away from those feelings over time, seeing a reminder of that day helped me find my way back.
“Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, not even if your whole world seems upset. If you find that you have wandered away from the shelter of God, lead your heart back to Him quietly and simply.” – Saint Francis de Sales
The other source of peace in my life is my family. I cannot explain the joy that I feel when we are all together. It may sound strange, but even at those moments when the craziness of life with four kids is in full swing, I feel at peace just by being with them. I think it is because when I am with them, I know that I am carrying out my true vocations in life of being a husband and father. I have pictures of my family in every corner of our house and in my office to serve as visual reminders of my love for them. Sometimes, when the stress starts to pick up and things get busy, I look at those pictures, close my eyes, pray and think of my family. It is in these moments that I am at peace and can finally see clearly.
It can be hard to find the path to peace and we will, inevitably, stray off course. For me, my path starts and ends with God and my family, which is really all I need to be happy in life. Everything else is just noise distracting me from what is truly important. I know this in my heart, but unfortunately, I need to be reminded from time to time.
Sometimes it is the unexpected things that can have the biggest impact on our lives. I did not expect that family outing to the shrine to have such a lasting effect on me. I would never have thought that a simple souvenir from a gift shop clearance bin would serve as a reminder to focus on the important things in my life and help me do something that I needed so badly in the midst of overwhelming stress and uncertainty, to Find Peace.