All I want for Christmas is



peaceWhat are we looking for in life? When this question was asked in a 2010 Australian lifestyle survey, the top two answers were happiness and peace. Are we surprised? I don’t think so but they are both elusive qualities when it comes to explaining them. What are the options?

Peace is found in our personality and temperament

Peace is the absence of war

Peace is a geography, a physical location

Peace is a direct result of the circumstances of life.

Though all of these possibilities partly explain peace, I think peace is best described as a place of rest and contentment within the mind and heart. Peace may be difficult to define intellectually but is well understood as what the soul feels…full, complete, sound, whole, enough.

That’s what I really want for Christmas…I’m sure of it!

Kelley


About Kelley

Kelley is a speaker, author, overseas aid worker and perpetual student. She is passionate about women and gender issues, both in the local and international context, which underpins her enthusiasm for kinwomen and its contribution to women ‘living their finest life’. In 2014 Kelley completed a Masters in International and Community Development before establishing The Foxglove Project. Foxglove is a registered charity focused on supporting international development projects that are sustainable and driven by indigenous leadership. Kelley’s paid work requires her to travel extensively to evaluate and support projects supported by Australian funds. This experience and networking enables Foxglove to partner with outstanding overseas agencies delivering real opportunities for the poor and vulnerable to lead independent self-determined lives. Kelley combines these passions with a love of family and faith. Across more than 30 years of marriage, Kelley and her husband have worked through many of the challenges of building a relationship while raising three sons. Their boys have now finished high school changing the dynamics of family life and relationships. One of her great joys is sharing parenting lessons and learning from good and bad (sometimes disastrous) experiences. She uses humour and common sense to talk about the everyday challenges facing parents in today’s context.