The past many months and weeks have been full ones. As any gardener knows, it’s a lot of work to create and maintain a garden, and lately gardening has been a central theme in my life. My actual garden included expanding our backyard patio, digging new beds and filling containers for flowers, veggies, and herbs, and creating a fountain. In deeper ways expanding the focus of our nonprofit, Orenda Healing International, has been the overriding theme, and we celebrated with the launch of our online publication, Four Winds Journal, in mid October.
All this is good! But the other day I realized that I was feeling totally drained and didn’t want to see anyone, talk to anyone, or do anything. Add to that the current political debacle and it’s easy to understand why someone might feel that way.
However, there are underlying reasons for burnout as well, and reading Lena Stevens’ November update, I suddenly saw how holding on to disappointment and resentment have added to the mix.
The theme for the month of November is forgiveness. Letting go. Releasing what has held us back, kept us down, and drained our energy for days, weeks, months– even years. Heaven knows there’s a lot to forgive– in ourselves, in others, and in what we see happening in this country and in the world at large. But once upon a time, not so very long ago, I discovered that forgiveness in its true sense was the key to healing and the one action that literally saved my life.
And what is “its true sense?” Very simply, it’s understanding that each of us, whoever we are and whatever we do — no matter how it looks– is probably doing the best that we can in that moment. We are human and therefore fallible. We are also divine and continue to aspire to real reconnection with Spirit. Relaxing vigilance, forgiving that which hasn’t worked and isn’t working, embracing beauty and gratitude– these are stepping stones on that path.