Life in the Palmetto State: Serenity, a dose of God's goodness

Imagine that this picture represents a symphony. The landscape would be the orchestra. The calm waters would be the bass section. The crickets chirping would be the strings, and the various morning songbirds would be the choir.

The sun would represent the overarching tune that embraces the sunrise and the promise of new mercies that God promises us every day. And the trees in the background, well, that is the sound of your past fading into the distance and never to be heard of again.

While I realize this may be a stretch for some, for those of us in "tune" with nature, we can hear every note, every chord, every lyric that God's naturescape plays.

To me, joy comes in the morning. A new day filled with promise of opportunity and a bright hope for tomorrow.

What is serenity after all?

Serenity (according to Google) is the state or quality of being calm, peaceful or untroubled.

Ha ha. That's no one I know; unfortunate, but true.

I remember so vividly growing up in the country, a community where the biggest stressors were if I could get the animals fed by dark and still make it to practice.

My brother and I, growing up on Brewington Road, played on the pavement. We rode our bikes and skateboards right down the yellow line, and what's worse, our parents knew we did it. They figured we were safe.

I would be horrified if the grandchildren got even close to that road today.

My parents knew there was no threat of us being abducted. They would have brought us right back, for they would have bitten off more than they could chew.

Our memory lane was no "yellow brick road," nor was it "the Mad Hatters attempt at not being late in Disney's Alice in Wonderland," but it was close.

Be it known, when chaos comes in the door, serenity slips out a window.

I just thought the flower children of the '70s made a splash with their sit-ins and psychedelics, but our society today has completely taken it to another level and has certainly lost its way in so many aspects of everyday life.

Now, it is not my intention to run people down in this article, but rather to bring into focus the lack of serenity in our lives and our desperate attempts to find it.

You see, serenity is always sold but never purchased, chased but never caught, dreamed of but never lived.

Let me let you in on a little secret. It has never left. It has been here forever, we just can't hear or see it anymore for all the noise and the fanfare of our busy lives.

Imagine a desk with papers, books and everything else known to man on it.

The desk is still there, you just can't see it for all the "stuff" on top of it.

Folks, unclutter your desks. Remove the mess that complicates your life.

Cut off the phones and computers 30 minutes earlier than you normally would and relax. Eat at the supper table together without the presence of any electronics. Social media can wait.

As a caveat, the supper table used to be our therapist, life coach, judge and jury, and just a great platform for listening, laughs and family.

I remember growing up hearing how bad it was for kids to have a TV for a babysitter. Look at what we have now. Social media lurks in the shadows dressed up like purity and innocence, but deep down its undertones are that of chaos and discord.

My friends, serenity is not gone, you just need to know where to find it.

May God bless you!

Reaves Jr. is president of Clarendon County Historical Society.