Traditions and Memories

Traditions... customs... cultures... memories...  Have you ever spent time searching for the Perfect Gift for someone you love or prepare the most sumptuous meal for guests invited to your home?  Have you tried to replicate Christmases Past into the Present, hoping to recapture the Spirit you remember?

This season inspires us to explore ways to celebrate who we are.  We carry many thoughts and emotions into this season... joy-filled, sorrowful, contented, anxious, happy, child-like...   human experiences of remembrance.

By the time you read this post, though, it may be time to slow down... and relax!  A work colleague used to say, "You've done good!"  Look back now, and say:  I did the best I could!  It is time to celebrate the perfect gift, Who-You-Are-Becoming!

Traditions: Shared at Home

As you replay the past weeks of preparation, what are you carrying into this week:

• All that was expected?
• All that couldn't be finished?
• All that you accomplished? 

Maybe it's time to set aside what happened or did not happen, talk to a friend or loved one, and share the aspirations and accomplishments... with the intention of letting go.  Maybe it is time to Hold Lightly the stress or tensions that were felt inwardly... or may have erupted outwardly.

Memories:  Shared Outward
(Union Square, San Francisco)

And, maybe the perfect gift right now is to slow down and offer a new perspective for the approaching New Year:  You are Good!  Those around you are Good.  We are doing the best we can.  We are human.

For me, these holidays are holy days: a mixture of childhood memories, mixed with adult experiences of joy beginning and life ending.  My parents made Christmas special for us six children:  the magic; the family traditions; the gifts; the way we felt loved.  A season of childhood memories: family, warmth, and belonging.

A New Year:  Ready to Emerge
(The Glass Factory, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico)

But, this season can be one of emergencies, hospital visits, and being family in unexpected ways.  Both of my parents died in December (December 8; December 24), so the childhood memories are infused with adult decisions of carrying, letting go, and mourning.

You or others you know may be experiencing moments that may seem unseasonal or unusual.  As I attempt to listen to and understand others, I am learning that all of these situations and memories can be gifts to be unwrapped and treasured.

Unless we slow down and notice what is emerging in us... listening to what others are sharing about their seasonal memories, we may miss the challenges that are being experienced inwardly and outwardly.

What questions are emerging in you this week as you slow down... relax... and notice?


May this week remind you that "You are good!" and "You've done good!"

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting 
(click on link to website)