I’ve been listening to both internal and external messages of the season. Externally I hear,“Happy Holidays”, “The Season of Giving”, “Buy Gifts Here”, “Joy to the World”, soon we’ll hear messages about the ending of the year, and “Happy New Year”. New year’s resolutions will be proclaimed, the setting of intentions and vows to start to be a whole new you. (By the way you can love yourself just the way you are).
Internally, we may or may not be Happy during the Holidays, perhaps we aren’t the sort to buy gifts, and maybe the holidays remind of us of losses. Or we’re simply tired.
My meditation and mindfulness practice has helped me take this season and any season, to be seen as what it is, infinitesimal moments, of what we call time. We have many moments, (how ever long that is), each moment holds something brand new even if it doesn’t seem like it. Our hearts are capable of holding all of it; all the moments however they may be not just the good ones. We can do it especially when we have support and love in our lives- internally and externally.
I’ve been also thinking a lot about gift giving. Perhaps something to consider is this; giving the gift of our presence, giving someone our undivided attention, and truly listening. You could even put it on a gift certificate; “This entitles the bearer of my love and attention over coffee on February 2nd.”
May you be at peace in the midst of everything, May we all be kinder to eachother and ourselves.