Happy Holidays, y'all.
Saying " Happy Holidays IS NOT a battle in the imagined " war on Christmas", it is merely acknowledging that many Americans celebrate a myriad of special days during these last two months of the Gregorian calendar year.
But I digress {again}
The holiday season, one that is rooted in joy and thanksgiving, is hard for many people.
It is extremely difficult for many of us to live up to the Norman Rockwellish portrayal of this time of year that Madison Avenue and Hallmark's Christmas Movie marathon tries to sell us.
Scrolling through my Facebook feed, I see countless ads for " Black Friday " deals. Coming from retailing families on both sides of my lineage, there is NOTHING " fun about the Friday after our National Day of Thanksgiving.
Furthermore, there is that White-washed, inaccurate, racist and harmful narrative about the " Pilgrims" landing here in search of religious freedom. I've had to totally reframe T-Day from a national celebration to a personal one: the entire month of November is a month where I celebrate the bounty that The Divine has given to me in the waning year.
All this to days that I struggle with Seasons al Depression during what marketers tell us is The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
Today I was really struggling with the seasonal depression, so Brian and I drove to our church and walked our beautiful outdoor labyrinth, which is set as the centerpiece of our Meditation Garden.
This special, sacred PUBLIC place is the result of A LOT of dreamers ... and even more doers in my congregation. While this place sits on the property of a Christian church, it is a place for all people to come, sit under the shady or carefully walk the beautiful labyrinth. This space was paid for and is maintained by generous volunteers in my congregation.
Am I proud of this space? Yes!
More importantly, I, like many others, need this space this season. While security measures leave many houses of worship locked, or at least monitored by security cameras, this outdoor meditation space is open twenty-four hours seven days per week. The two metal arbors welcome all who seek-- whatever they seek. It is here where people can commune with Nature.
Plants, trees, and the Earth herself welcome world-weary humans and invite us to lay down our burdens and be reminded that we are enough.
Before Brian and I walked the labyrinth, I picked up a heavy white stone and put it in the back pocket of my blue jeans. When I arrived at the center of the labyrinth, I placed the heavy white stone in the center of the labyrinth. As I made this simple gesture, I felt my burdens, at least the burdens that I carried today, lift. Turning around, I walked from the center towards the beginning of the labyrinth.
In case any of my readers are clueless, as to what I am discussing, here is the dictionary definition of labyrinth .
I am grateful that this space exists in Pensacola, and I am even more grateful that it exists on the property of St Christopher's Episcopal Church, Pensacola
Namaste...
Sarahbeth McCarren
Nov 17 2023
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