May the season bring truth in spirit, peace in your soul and love in your hearts!
One cannot help but ponder the meaning of the holiday season, no matter what our beliefs might be! Having been raised in a Jewish household, we celebrated the season for the values it represented, not for the religious meaning it carried.
What has always resonated were the words, "Peace on Earth", "Goodwill to Mankind"! As we embark into a magical time on 1/11/11, the numbers not only resonate, but so do these words.
While the morning started out as do most others, sitting down at the computer, enjoying that first cup of coffee, reading emails, the direction soon pivoted when remembering one last thing we needed to do. Hang those two ornaments on the mantle, a gift, which in it's simplicity took on a much greater meaning.
Just a few days ago taking 2 peeps, 2 pups, 2 hours to accomplish, the simple task of imprinting a paw into some sticky white substance should have probably won a spot on the Funniest Home Videos, if there were three of us, one to take the video. The contortions, the tricks, the treats and the time to complete a simple project was extraordinary. So now taking 2 days to dry, what started off as an ordinary day, may have turned extraordinary.
As an intuitive genealogist, for lack of a better word, our work over the last year or so has been guided in some very different directions. In this work, the outcome can sometimes be disappointing, shocking and downright heartbreaking. But the truth, despite the outcome, is really what is most important. While we spend our waking hours on our own journey, it is making the journey, step by step, much more important than the outcome. It is the understanding that every outcome is perfect, in its own time and space. This is perhaps the extraordinary lesson of the day! It will be these outcomes which will be studied by future genealogists in the generations to come.
So, not only do we share residence with two very special black and white spotted creatures, a resident lizard has also found comfort in a plant next to the fireplace. It has been here for months now, not always making its presence known.
Reflecting on the lessons of the past year became the order for this day. While our pets do try to guide us in living in the "now", teaching us loyalty and unconditional love, not surprising this resident lizard who came out for the event, represented in its symbolism, this very lesson we have been attaching to over these several months. In one word - "detachment". Detachment from the baggage we carry from our parents, our ancestors, and a deeper understanding of detachment - from outcomes!
Notwithstanding in our work as a professional genealogist, despite each case representing a very deep need for understanding, every case does not culminate in what one might perceive to be a perfect outcome. As someone mentioned quite recently, it was not having all the facts that was important, but making the connection and taking the journey which brought a deeper understanding and perhaps, more meaning! It's not the facts! It's the process!
Taking this concept into our personal and private lives, the experiences are very much the same. Not every situation we engage ourselves in will yield the outcome we desire. The intent and the connection, even if it yields some of our greatest disappointments, resonates loudly. It is not the outcome! It's the journey!
Wondering where this is all going? One only has to do a quick search on the symbolism of a lizard to understand what the year to come is all about! Letting go of the past, letting go of outcomes, letting go of our fears, letting go of the hurt and letting go of the disappointments. Not only is this what genealogy is all about, it is what "living" is all about! This is where we find our truth.
Thoughts turned once again to the message of the season. Growing up in the sixties, the baby boomers almost had it all right. It was all about "Peace and Love". What was missing was the "Truth"! We believed the truth existed within "substances", imbibed or inhaled, rather than making the connection deep within our spirits. No pun intended here.
As the powerful year of 2011 approaches, maybe, just maybe, we can get it right! Let's live in the spirit of this season year round, let us share in the service to others, let us be passionate about our truths. It is this purity which will not disappoint as there are no outcomes with which to attach! Or better yet, the outcomes will be revealed to us to perfection in every way.
May our truths shine bright, within our own heart and the hearts of all those whose paths we cross. May we all share in the joy, happiness and peace of the season!
These are our wishes, not only this holiday season, but for all the seasons yet to come.
Susan
Addendum: January 4, 2011
Probably the best exercise for Detachment can be found on this wonderful series by Colette Baron-Reid
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