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Guest opinion: Peaceful musings from fourth graders

Special to The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO Colorado

Fourth graders in Aspen Elementary School recently observed The International Day of Peace by writing about how they felt about peace. According to elementary school writing specialist Dee Searing, they started by closing their eyes and trying to imagine what world peace would be like. What would it look like? Sound like? Feel like? They had to use figurative language and imagery to write their descriptions because the concept of world peace is so abstract, Searing noted.

Here’s a sampling of what they wrote:

Peace is when the sun is setting and there’s a ray of colors lightly mixed together … a rainbow high in the sky. Peace is lilac, baby blue, soft pink and light yellow. Peace has a special mood that is loving and caring and helps everyone even in the darkest of places. Peace is the pitter-patter of a waterfall flowing through the mountains. To me peace is everywhere and everyone is calm and everything is in perfect harmony. If you give peace a chance, our whole world could change.



– Jordan Fox

Peace is the beautiful ocean water that puts the burning hot fire. Peace is the breeze that keep the dolphins swimming, lions running, roosters crowing, babies growing and puppies playing. Peace is what keeps the Earth spinning, plants living, stars dancing, diamonds gleaming and trees moving in the wind. Peace is a mother polar bear protecting her babies from the fierce storm. It is the leopard that speeds by in Africa. It is like the first light you see on the day you are born. Peace is beautiful love that spreads all around the Earth like leaves in the breeze.




– Ollie Leuck

Peace is a soft dove comforting you when you are alone … peaceful soft clouds to catch you when you fall. Peace is your family or friends to cheer you up when you are sad. Peace is your dog, who lies with you when you feel bad. Peace is your favorite blanket or stuffed animal; to hold tight when you are scared. Peace is the soft grass that tickles in between you toes when you walk, run or lay in it. Peace is your mom or dad hugging you when you feel lonely. Peace is your best friend playing with you when you have nothing to do on a boring weekend. Peace is the best thing in the world.

– Maddy Bergdahl

Peace is something hard to describe because it is such a deep feeling. Peace is happiness. It’s where there is no hatred. Peace is the smell of hot soup that a homeless child was just served. Peace is a feeling that you just can’t hold it in. Peace is contagious. Everyone who has peace can pass it on one way or another. When you spread peace, Mother Earth smiles. – Francesca Seeman

Peace starts as a small, silent thing, flowing through souls. It reaches out to touch your heart and let a small, laughing child in. Peace makes you rejoice over all the little things in life: a newborn baby, starry nights, outings with your family, ice cream, laughing, fun with your best friend, and sweet cups of lemonade. Peace is a small silent thing.

– Josie Wille

Peace is sharing and finding a way to make harmony. Peace is looking at flowers and saying, “peace.” Peace is willing to help a person in need. Peace is powerful and soothing at the same time. Peace is holding hands and seeing the bright light in dark places. Peace.

– Chris Bergdahl

Peace is a blanket over the whole world, but when there is a war, the blanket has a hole in it. Peace is when the sun is setting and everyone is safely going to sleep. Peace is a perfect circle, nice and round. Peace means to never kill someone. I hope if I have kids they won’t have to worry about being killed. It would be awesome if the world could live in harmony.

– Ty Yocum

Peace to me is like putting on my ice skates and gently gliding across the smooth ice. Peace is a soft bubble of protection around everyone. Peace is a spiral and on every curl someone is going to bed warm, in pajamas, with a blanket and a pillow. Peace is people with shining smiles, with confidence and laughter and soft, gentle happiness. It’s shown by a light in their hearts. I imagine being by a river, tossing stones and hearing a splash. Peace is that splash and what we need in the world.

– Alex Hazen

Peace can take any shape or size. Peace can travel long distances in a matter of seconds. Peace can be blue like the sky, yellow like the sun, green as the forests, and red as lava. Peace is where everyone is happy and loving. Peace sounds like a wonderful song. Peace is what everybody must care about.

– Canaan Case

Peace is about love and caring for other people, not just you. Peace is feeding people so they don’t go hungry and die. Peace is not about war. We have to stop war. Peace is about freedom and love. Peace would be great if there was more of it in the world. Peace should start right now and go until the world’s end, but the world won’t end if there is peace.

– Zack Starensier