And they’re off! Running ninety miles an hour, talking on cell phones as they walk… (Oh! Did he bump into you? “Sorry… Why were you there?”) It’s that time of year when everyone goes crazy buying, eating, moving, talking; and we are all supposed to be of good cheer. How, I ask you?
“Peace. Good will toward Man.” This is not easily found in a fast pace while only your personal needs are considered. It is found in the simpler things of life, the mask of helpfulness with the salt of caring for and with others.
Today, a lovely gentleman, who has cared for the family yard for many years, came to work after a long and difficult battle with leukemia. When this illness was first discovered, he told us of his coming battle and said, “… but don’t worry about the garden… My son will come and care for it while I am away.” He had no thought to himself at that moment, only concern that the yards, his work, his responsibilities to others were in place. He knew he had to slow down to get well, but he was quickly trying to put it in place so that in his absence, he could actually rest and recover and let go of the rest. As I watched him return to his duties today (he’d been gone for months), Hubby and I could both see a new man, a strong man, a healthy one. It is a lesson to remember, yes? Fast pace is not as important as listening to our own body, the house in which we each live.
I like many, have a tendency to let all that rushing suck me into the vortex of stress that is its M.O. Even now, I am writing and thinking of my daily chores, other articles that need to be tweaked and edited, and the house that is not completely cleaned… I’m hurting in the thoughts of it. Too much! I need the letting go!
So in this short missive, I am reminding myself (first) and all the rest of us, that the peace of letting go needs to be a part of our holiday spirit. Life has become way to “immediate” and complicated. It moves at a rocket’s pace that eventually ends in failure, if we do not stop to rest and, as they say, smell the roses.
Have a good holiday tomorrow and an easier pace into Black Friday. Help each other, please, to stop and rest now and again. Help with the work and the chores, not just the eating and the visiting; that way everyone can take a peaceful break. Give your hands and your back to those working around you, give your heart when you do it… And go slow! We don’t have to go looking for the fast pace… It shows up all by itself!
From me, to you… May your holidays be filled with many blessings!
Best… Carolyn Thomas Temple
