This month, we will be exploring the theme of family. It is a complicated theme, and we want to begin by honoring the many ways families exist in this world, and the fact that for many, family has been a source of pain.
Be gentle with yourself today.
The cycles of nature teach us about life–a part of which is death. We can learn to let go, to release our being into the universe, to recycle our atoms and our energy as part of our planet’s breath. We can learn to live after the death of someone close to us, to know that they, too, are part of all that is around us.
At this time of year when cultures around the world celebrate the ancestors, remember someone you would like to carry in your heart today.
“Eventually, my eyes focused on a singular fish ‘stuck’ below a rock wall just below a deeper pool. As I watched her swim without getting anywhere, I found myself wanting to help. I imagined scooping her up and assisting her over the rock wall. Pretty soon, others in my hiking group started saying the same thing I was thinking! We all wanted to help.
“But we didn’t. It’s against the law to disturb the kokanee during this precious time in their life cycle. More importantly, we decided that we could trust that this incredible creature had everything in her that she needed to engage the work that was hers to do.
“This idea—that we all already have everything we need within us to meet the life that is before us—is…a reminder to connect to our Wholeness. It’s an invitation to put away the lie we have swallowed… that we are separate from God…..” -DanaLee Simon, from the reflection “The Work That’s Ours to Do”
What reminds you to connect to your wholeness?
“Oh source of life
We are grateful for your consistency
Expressed in tree rings and rock formations, the half-life of stars and the depths of oceans
and in the gentle, persistent spinning of the planet.
Remind us of the constancy you need from us as well—
To temper our needs to fit within your limitations,
to suppress our desires so your life forces can persist.
In this day may we reconnect to our life-giving, breath-freeing connection with you
and in doing so, may we be reminded of the changes we must pursue
to make commitment to our planet our everyday devotion.” -Leslie Takahashi
Where do you find consistency and constancy in nature?
Climate justice requires a fundamental orientation to relationships: relationships between us and the planet, the beings we share the planet with, human communities (especially those disproportionately put at risk because of systems of oppression), and each other.
When it comes to climate justice, who do you want to be in a relationship with?
