As I awoke this morning the first cogent thought I had was about going to a relative’s house for a brief visit before joining my husband for our Thanksgiving meal together. Every nerve fiber tingled as I mulled it over, trying to decide if I even wanted to do this much. Then I stopped that thought train, refusing to ride it to its obvious conclusion. I refused to let this activated complex of complicated feelings and memories take over. Instead I rose and quietly said a prayer of Thanksgiving.
Not everyone has pleasant past holiday memories. The holiday archetype is loaded with a complex mix of cultural expectations made especially difficult this year given the current economic crisis. In order to thrive during the holiday season, it important to separate the personal experience from an impersonal event. If we allow the personal past to contaminate the present, then we are indeed enduring the holidays. But if we can find a seat at the table as author Will Boast did in his New York Times op-ed piece, we can indeed thrive instead of endure this year’s holiday season. This morning I leave you with this well known Irish Blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Peace,
Nance
