Ok, it’s the Holiday season. Families gather together to enjoy each other’s company and to remind each other of all the gifts we have to be thankful for despite the challenges and disappointments.
But I am aware of some anxiety and trepidation. How will it be to all be together? While we may wish for a perfect scenario, the reality is that if we persist in that delusion we may create what looks perfect from the outside but is hollow inside. True intimacy is fraught with edges, lumps and bumps and witnessing unhelpful habitual patterns.
So I guess that resting in reality or as Pema Chodron says “relax into the groundlessness” is more vibrant and alive, even if it is sometimes messy, uncomfortable and unattractive. There are movies made about family holiday gatherings and what I love about them is that they make us lighten up and laugh. There is a lot of joy in imperfection.
My wish for all of us this season is that we don’t so much relax in our own good fortune but include in our thoughts and actions others whose lives are far short of anything to be grateful for. What good are gifts if they are not to be shared.
