Breathe with me.
Take a moment to just take in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Maybe take a walk in the morning, noticing the chill in the air and how the change of season has come to your neighborhood.
Perhaps you drive by the Potomac or a local body of water, and instead of driving past as you usually do, you stop, get out of your car and quietly gaze into the reflections and movement of the water.
Or take out a piece of paper and write down a few things you have experienced this year that have brought you joy and gratitude.
On Sundays, we consider things of meaning and reflect on some of the deepest issues of our shared experience, but worship is not the only space for that to happen. Sometimes, in the busyness of our lives, we forget to consider things of deep meaning during the week too.
What if as part of our practice as UUs, right around Thanksgiving, we made a list of five people who have fed our spirits or nurtured our lives in some way over the past year. And then, as the holiday approached, we didn’t buy them something but we told them, face to face or Zoom to Zoom, of our gratitude for their presence in our lives – gratitude for the energy that is sent our way, for the presence that we are given in times of need. We spend so much time on the run, or accomplishing or distracted. Maybe we can make one of our rituals at this time of year writing a note of gratitude for those who bring meaning to our lives and to take a moment to let them know.
“Each Breath” by Rev. Leaf Seligman helps me bring gratitude into my life. I hope it does the same for you:
We pause in the stillness to rest for a moment, to quiet ourselves so that we can feel what stirs within us. Each breath draws us closer to the pulse of life and with each exhalation we make room for something new. May we find in this gathering the comfort of those who care. May we encounter patience along our growing edges and compassion in our most tender spots. Here may we find the inspiration and encouragement we need to face our challenges and nurture ourselves. And in the presence of suffering across the globe may we redouble our efforts to practice kindness where we are, with the hope that the light of our actions travels like the light of faraway stars. May our gestures of compassion and generosity seed possibility. May we walk humbly with one another, choosing reconciliation over resentment as we try to live right-sized. When life presses in and shifts us off balance, when pain assails us, when frustration mounts, may the rhythm of our breath steady us and bring us back to a place of gratitude.
I know that for so many of us, this will not be a holiday season like any other and for some of us, it will be as joyful, sad or challenging as any other year. So remember, you are a member of a community of love and even if we are not able to gather, gratitude for each other is a strong bond to be celebrated at this time of year and always.
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