The Gift Of You
One of my favorite holiday songs is Someday at Christmas for its message of hope. The lyrics include Someday at Christmas, we’ll see a land/With no hungry children, no empty hand/One happy morning people will share/A world where people care. It touches my heart because it’s rather specific about the changes that would bring joy to the world and peace on Earth. And, it holds a vision that, quite frankly, feels like our personal responsibility for the greater good. Someday all our dreams will come to be/Someday in a world where people are free/Maybe not in time for you and me/But someday at Christmas time. How do we move closer to that promise?
In his book Being Peace, Zen Master, global spiritual leader, and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh advises, “If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” A simple and eloquent thought that does require some introspection on our part to get to a place where we are peaceful and happy … to see the unique gift we are to the world.
Amy Leigh Mercree, author of The Compassion Revolution says, ““Being present to yourself in love and with kindness is the ultimate gift.” So this holiday season, allow the best gift-giving to begin with an inward look — an appreciation for our own light that shines as brightly as any we string on a tree. Let us remember and reimagine how we can share our innate gifts to honor ourselves and our Ancestors. Let us see too, our own gifts’ potential for connecting with others to create the world of our dreams.
Last week we led a session during the staff retreat for PAVE, an organization that “provides support, training, information, and resources to empower and give voice to individuals, youth and families impacted by disabilities.” To wrap-up the session, I did a meditation grounded in honoring the strength and fortitude of our Ancestors and the gifts we carry forward from them that show up as the abilities that are natural to who we are. As we acknowledged our gifts, we gave gratitude to the multitude of generations that came before. We also chose the gifts we intended to share with future generations and sent them out from our hearts. It was remarkable to feel the energy of self-acceptance, love, and appreciation, palpable even on a Zoom call with 25 people. We are incredibly grateful to Executive Director Tracy Kahlo and her fabulous team for their openness to our work.
We are continuing our biweekly sessions at the HYPE Center, where a sense of calm has settled in. (Our board members, volunteers, and I do regular energy healings on the place.) On our last visit, in the commons room — a setting that in September was rather intimidating from the sheer noise level — was quiet, with some of the young people coloring snowflakes, another playing a guitar, and another intent on his job search. The staff said that things feel more settled, and attendance numbers have been going down as more individuals get jobs and housing placements. I do not contend this is fully attributable Soul Seeds – they have a kind, dedicated staff – but let’s just say, the energy work doesn’t hurt!
As the year comes to an end, a sincere thank you to our volunteers, our board members, our donors, and all of you who are reading this right now. We are grateful that you contribute your light to the vision of Soul Seeds and continue to lift us up. We are truly grateful for your belief in this work. To you, a wish for peace in your hearts and on our planet. May you always remember your gifts and find opportunities to pass them along.
I leave you with Tina Turner and a chorus of children chanting in Sanskrit, Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu, one of the Shanti mantras to invoke peace, harmony, and tranquility in and around us. I invite you to give yourself the gift of five minutes to pause the busyness of this time to listen and call forth the energy of peace, love, and compassion. May this season of light, celebrated around the world, yield a more peaceful 2022 for all.
Melanie Davis-Jones (she/her/hers)
Executive Director
In Case You Missed It:
December Frequency Forecast by Nancy Rebecca | Blog and Video
Resources:
What Are the Holiday Blues? | Signs & Symptoms, Causes, Coping, and Understanding Holiday Blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
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