A Christmas Wish

There is often one special holiday card that touches me each year during this season. It  becomes a special favorite for both its endearing and enduring message. It is the one I will retain and that will evade making its way into a pile of oblivion. Sometimes I happen to buy the card - unexpectedly running into it, and surprised by the joy it instantly gives me. Sometimes I receive it - its simple message warming my heart as soon as it arrives in the mail. Most cards simply leave me unaffected these days, and this year in particular, I had to search harder for ones I wanted to send out in the mail to those souls in distant places, that I have managed to keep in touch with, sometimes over decades...

I almost inadvertently came across a card this year that I have enjoyed posting as my Facebook or Twitter status daily - choosing one sentence at a time, savoring it slowly,  absorbing and reflecting deeply on its meaning for me.

I reproduce the entire message here, for I can think of no better Christmas or Chanukah or New Year's wish or gift to give or to receive for virtually anyone. The world would be a much better place indeed if this was what we all wished for, instead of the more material things we spend our precious time and resources pursuing...

A Christmas Wish

May we break down boundaries, 
tear down walls, and build 
on the foundation of goodness.
May we look past differences, 
gain understanding, 
and embrace acceptance.
May we reach out to each 
other rather than resist.
May we be better stewards of the earth, 
protecting, nurturing, and replenishing 
the beauties of nature.
May we practice gratitude for all we have, 
rather than complain about our needs.
May we seek cures for the sick, 
help for the hungry, 
and love for the lonely.
May we share our talents, 
give our time, 
and teach our children.
May we hold hope for the future 
very tenderly in our hearts, 
and do all we can 
to build for bright tomorrows.
And may we love with our whole hearts, 
for that's the only way to love.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rumi - "The Lord is in Me" and "Love Said to Me"

I was sent a couple of poems by Rumi recently, and I wish to share them here. May you find inspiration in them for a glorious weekend! The Lord is in Me The Lord is in me, and the Lord is in you, As life is hidden in every seed. So rubble your pride, my friend, And look for Him within you. When I sit in the heart of His world A million suns blaze with light, A burning blue sea spreads across the sky, Life's turmoil falls quiet, All the stains of suffering wash away. Listen to the unstruck bells and drums! Love is here; plunge into its rapture! Rains pour down without water; Rivers are streams of light. How could I ever express How blessed I feel To revel in such vast ecstasy In my own body? This is the music Of soul and soul meeting. Of the forgetting of all grief. This is the music That transcends all coming and going. Love Said to Me I worship the moon. Tell me of the soft glow of a candle light and the sweetness of my moon. Don't talk about sorrow, tell me of that treasure...
Read more

Upside Down Siva and Ultimate Freedom

Image
While I was in Denver last month, on Thursday May 7th, the day of the week in which the Guru and teachers are traditionally honored, I was drawn to buy a "murti" (sacred statue) of Siva doing a one-handed handstand. I bought this statue the very morning I was to demo this pose, unbeknowst to me... The murti of Siva is now on my desk in front of me, where it is constantly in my peripheral vision, every time I sit at my computer. It is also to the left of the meditation alcove I built into a closet. I was drawn to this piece from the first moment I laid eyes on it, and so after receiving it in the mail, I wrote to Dr. Manoj Challam, from whom I purchased it, asking him to give me more insight into the meaning of this representation of Siva. A primary focus of the week that Anusara Yoga teachers gathered in Denver was the study of the Siva Sutras with Dr. Paul Muller Ortega, a pre-eminent Siva scholar. I have always been very drawn to Siva , and this particular murti was so ...
Read more

An Advent Guided Meditation

I wrote this meditation for an Advent Quiet Day for St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, Va, last week. And while it is long, I wish to share it here, for those who would like to embark on a little journey of going inward to experience the quiet and the true gifts of this season. Enjoy! Introduction: Advent is a time for waiting, for preparing, for embodying joy, faith, peace, and love… Advent is a journey, which invites us to sojourn more deeply within ourselves. Advent is a time to slow down, to open our hearts to receive the Gift of the Divine in our lives, and to share our own lives with one another, for there is no greater gift that we can give… Let us take a few moments to settle ourselves – our minds and hearts and body into stillness, that we may open, prepare, and receive the gifts of the season… Centering: Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible, sitting in whatever way will enable you settle most deeply… If you have to make...
Read more