I have to ask. Are you one who thrives in or survives this time of year? I think over the years, I've become much grumpier for what Christmas represents. Perhaps because my children have grown, or I am more sensitive. The season feels more and more focused on commercial consumption whether you can afford it or not. There is a subtle wave of expectation that creates stress. You can easily witness it on people's faces, even walking down the street.
The holidays can be immensely joyful yet also reflect tremendous tragedies. In my memory, it’s the norm at this time of year. This last week, in 2 degrees of separation, a 25 year old girl died to cancer, a suicide took place and a very messy attempt of suicide happened. Argh! This can leave you feeling that there is something terribly wrong in pursuing joy when the news and the social circuits are filled with heartbreak.
It brought to the surface for me how important it is to befriend impermanence. When we believe that things should be a particular way, we get perplexed when the boundaries burst into areas where we feel ill equipped. None of us know what the expiry date is on our contract with life or anyone else's. Yet walking through life with clarity of impermanence seems morbid to many.
Impermanence is an extraordinary thing when we stay present. We have incredible challenges that are impermanent, hooray. We have sorrows that are impermanent, thank God. We have ecstatic moments of joy, savour them. None of these things can be fully possessed, as they don’t belong to us. They belong to life and we get to experience them. All of them, as we have all the seeds in us already. We may not have control over circumstance, but we do have control over it's effect on us.
None of us gets through life without experiencing highs and lows in the spirit of morality. Hopefully with our hearts and minds wide open for clarity, we can enjoy wisdom and the unique joy that arrives when we see the real gifts at hand in the present moment.
Last weekend I had the opportunity to go out with Pay it Forward Toronto, a grassroots organization that brought clothing and blankets to the homeless. I got to be at the back of a truck that would pull up in varying shelters and those in need would come to the truck and see what they wanted and needed and we would rummage through the boxes of people's generosity and spread the love. It was one of the most gratifying days of service that I’ve been part of. I loved it because it was the front line, for the right reason, nothing bureaucratic, sparked by one woman's beautiful activist heart. It was a totally inclusive means of making a difference where it counts. It was spreading a little peace of community.
In light of the tragedies of the times, in light of the struggles and relationships, in light of the political, social and economic challenges, hug someone you love, then go hug a stranger. Let's come out into the extraordinary life we share and spread heart every way we know how. Not only for the people on the receiving end of that love, but for the electrifying healing that happens in our own core by the acts.
For those who purchased any of our mindful collections, thank you. May they serve you well and bring you peace. I had a wonderful time being hands-on with mala making this year. Well, meditation rings and the Being Peace medallions as well, but especially the mala making. It was like a prayer in action.
When we were a bigger company, creating beyond the prototypes was something that could take little of my time as the business itself demanded a lot of me. This year was novel and delightful.
The few intentional collections of mindful product we have offer purpose of practice. The sales have helped support my deeper practice of evolving the human spirit. This is my life's dedication that will hopefully ripple into benefitting others. So thank you, bless you and stay in touch.
