Traditions

It is Christmas Eve and for the first time in 55 years my Christmas is totally without the usual traditions. It brings a deep sadness. In the midst of chaos and change, I find myself clinging at least to my belief that this is time for peace, generosity and goodwill. It seems the usual "Spirit of Christmas" has disappeared for this year. Even the children I know do not have that same sense of awe and excitement. I find less reminders of the spiritual side of this holiday, as the years pass. Is it just me or have you noticed it too?

Shopping and wrapping are all that remain the same. This is the first year that I remember the gifts being more important than the celebration of the birth of Christ, everlasting love, and hope for peace on earth. Is it just me?

I cannot help but miss the family time, the foods and goodies that have always been a part of the season. I miss the smell of fresh baked buns and christmas bread. I miss planning Christmas Eve with my daughter, and anticipating our usual 3:00 am Santa time.

I miss reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and remembering how we were raised to understand that Santa was a representation of the gift of giving to others, not just at Christmas but everyday. Not just presents but the gift of ourselves.

I miss watching "A Christmas Carol", and all the old-time movies that gave representation to how precious our lives are, and lives of those we interact with daily. Year after year they have brought laughter, tears and memories - all building upon another to create a special feeling that, for me, is Christmas.

Traditions form a basis not just for celebrating holidays such as Christmas, but also for the way we live our lives. It seems, though, that times such as this are a deeper reminder of what is important to us. As I sense the slipping away of Christmas Tradition, I find myself wondering if that trend will run over into the values I live by everyday. How far do we go in compromising our traditions, to meet the new and modern beliefs and values? Should we compromise?

As I share this sense of loss with you, I also want to share my Christmas Wish for All Mankind - Joyful Memories of family and friends, Love of Life, and Peace On Earth. May we be blessed with the reminder that Christmas is a time to give thought to the most precious gift of all - Life itself.

Merry Christmas to All.

Lest We Forget/Rememberance Day

"Today is a new day and I am glad in it."

Have you thought how different your life would be, if each day you allowed yourself to feel the moment, instead of perceiving each experience based on similar experiences of the past?

Holding memories whether good or bad is natural for all of us, but do you lose out on new opportunities by choosing your actions and reactions based on the past? Do you create a greater gap to joy by holding grudges for what has gone before?

Have you found yourself holding back on inspiration because of past failures? Do you stop yourself before you offer love or friendship because of past disloyalty? Have you tried to recapture a beautiful memory, only to be disappointed in the current result, and then found the beauty of the previous moment disminished?

How is your past affecting today? If yesterday was filled with sorrow, guilt, challenges, or pain, do you expect the same today? Do you wait for someone or something to clear away your clouds, before allowing yourself to laugh again?

How would your life change if you began each day anew? If there was no memory of past sunrises and today you were seeing the colors and light for the very first time? What if you had no way of comparing how brightly the stars shone on the previous night - would they not stop you in awe as you looked upon them as if it were the first time they shone?

If you had no memory of being let down, betrayed, or upset, how easy would it be to reach your heart and hand out to a stranger? If we could let go of the anger, and see another as we first saw them, how different would our relationships be? What if it was safe to trust without fear of harm?

Today as I think of November 11th - Rememberance Day, I ask myself, why we would want to remember the days and years of suffering for so many soldiers, family and friends. They fought for freedom and country. They fought with pride and endurance. Many who returned, spent years trying to forget, few spoke easily of that time.

Lest We Forget - perhaps it is the reason they fought that needs to be remembered, rather than the horror they endured. Perhaps we need to let go of the reasons for war, and begin anew each day, so that wars may stop. Most who fought for our country believed that is why they were fighting - to end all wars.

If we truly want to honor the veterans, our parents and grandparents, I believe it is time to live as they prayed we would live for their efforts -in peace, acceptance and love. Let us clear our minds of anger, power, control, greed, and revenge. Let us remember integrity. Let us remember we are equal. No matter what country, what culture, what religion or system of beliefs, if we could all just begin today, seeing the beauty of the world, the abundance surrounding us there would be no need to react with bombs, bullets, and bayonets.

Let us remember that today is a new day and what we do today will change the future. The choice is ours.

If there is any memory I ask all of you to rekindle, it would be this:
Remember, we were all created in love. Love was all there was. It was not until the addition of "freewill" that anything but love existed. In honor of our veterans I hope you will use your freewill to make each day a new day, filled with peace, joy, love and faith. Accept all others whatever their differences. Forgive the past. Forget all grievances. This is the way to end all wars in a way that fighting never could.

Lest we forget - our choices create the reality in which we live, and we have the ability to create heaven or hell. As we give thanks for those who fought to protect us, let us also remember our responsibility to uphold the reason they put their lives on the line for us - that we might live in peace.

Be Blessed

Thanksgiving Weekend

Count your blessings and give thanks - though I believe that this should be a daily process, I also enjoy a weekend that has created a time for us to be especially aware of how truly blessed our lives are.

As a farmer's daughter, and later a farmer's wife it was easy to see the abundance at this time of year. Cereal crops were being harvested and vegetables from the garden were gathered, canned, frozen or put into cold storage. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing results after months of tending and nurturing.

I only have to think about the golden grain pouring into the hopper, to remember, not just the hard work it took, but also a feeling of joy and gratitude for mother nature's part in bringing an abundant harvest. Her gentle rain, warm sunshine, the lightening and the brillance of the full moon night's all created perfect conditions for growth.

These past few years have not been so perfect, and more often than not  farmers have felt cheated. I am sorry. Sorry for their feelings of futility, but even more sorry, that they cannot let it go and give thanks for the experience and for whatever crop was produced. When we lose gratitude, we lose abundance. It goes full circle.

The same is true in our lives. It is not enough to be grateful for only perfection in our lives. We must also show appreciation for the smallest of gestures, the sadness and pain. In our failures we find the seeds of success, the strength of survival, the anticipation of a new opportunity. In sickness, we can create health and in sorrow we learn the true appreciation of joy. When we learn to be thankful for the worst, we find our way toward inner peace, joy and love. Without the opposites of life we could never truly be grateful for the good. It would all be taken for granted, the depth of the moment lost in the sameness of yesterday.

Thanksgiving weekend is not only an opportunity for us to give thanks for the past year's blessing and harvest. It is also a time for us to give thanks for that which is still to come. This year take time to be grateful for all the good you know is on it's way to you right now, tommorow, and in a month from now. Plant the seeds of gratitude today, so that the harvest you reap tommorow will reflect joy and acceptance of the abundance you deserve.

I want each of you reading this to know how much I appreciate you. Thank you for friendship, support, honesty, integrity, love, nurturing, being a shoulder to lean on and a wise council. Thank you for being unique and inspiring in all you do. Thank you for being a part of my life, whether we have ever met or not. Thank you for all you give to this planet, your family and friends, coworkers and strangers. Each contribution you make to creating a life of joy, love, peace and prosperity lifts us all. You are a blessing!

I felt compelled to share this short post with all of you today. I am asked so often how I keep going with a busy schedule, and endless weeks of continual work, clients and responsibilities. There are days when if I stop to think about it I feel like the "eveready bunny", so I stop thinking about it. Instead I start my day with the following intention:

"Today is the best day of my life. Please show me all the beauty and joy this day has to offer and allow me to love and prosper everyone I encounter as I go about the tasks that are set before me."

At the end of the day, I take note of what I have learned, experienced and shared and offer gratitude for all of it with this short prayer:

"Thank you for the best day of my life. Bless all who have helped to make this a day filled with love, joy, beauty and prosperity. Bless all those who have challenged or shown me parts of myself I needed to see. Thank you for allowing me to experience one more step on this wonderful adventure called life."

The wording is not always exactly the same, but the intention clearly puts me in the moment with no worry for tomorrow, and allows me to let go of any troubles of the day, knowing that all is as it should be. As I sort through the day, I make note of anything that stands out as unfinished business and make a mental note to clarify misunderstandings, mistakes, or errors in judgement as soon as the opportunity arises. With everything taken care of I can then enjoy a good night's sleep, in preparation for the beauty of tomorrow.

Create your own intentions or prayers and make them a part of your daily life. The results are beyond amazing. Feel free to use mine until the right wording for you shows up.

May Today Be The Best Day Of Your Life