The Light Gap
Celebrations of Freedom
Celebrations of Freedom
Coming up is a week of celebration for our country. Right now more than ever we need to find the LOVE that keeps our freedoms whole. I have fond memories of the 4th of July as a child. We were always at our grandparents for the small town parade, a celebration with delicious steaks grilled by our grandfather ( A HUGE treat for us!), and always a flag ceremony to put the flag out to proudly display it from an upstairs window location where such a huge flag could drape over the front of the house. Then our grandfather would line us all up on the front steps of the house and have us put our hands over our heart and sing together our National song. Next, we would walk down to follow the parade that was marching down the main road to the community cemetery where there were flags on the graves of all who died in the various wars.
At our house now, we put out our flag and pray for our country, all people, and especially the military families that like us are feeling on high alert. I think and write the words from a Quechua prayer High in the Andes Mountains…a place we loved as we visited it many times. It is so appropriate for ALL of us in this country right now.
Great Creator, Grant me the light of wisdom.
Mother Earth, bountiful source, help me draw strength from the ground beneath my feet.
Father Sun, radiant child, fill me with the warmth and energy to face my trials.
Mountain Spirits, who walk the wind, guide me on the path of resilience and determination.
May the sacred waters cleanse my soul, and may the fires of transformation forge my spirit.
In unity with all living beings, I embrace the power within me, to overcome obstacles and grow ever stronger.
We are celebrating the beautiful gift of being free to think and BE who we wanted to be. Now, as we face such turmoil in our country, I wonder at the difficult times that took place during World War I and II that our grandparents probably experienced. They talked about the aftermath of the Civil War even…relatives having lived through that positively horrible part of U.S history. Our beloved Aunt Maude would invite us over to her house. She would carefully pull down the box with letters from family members who were serving in the civil war and read them to us. I never thought about that as a child, but what I remember is complete gratitude that we were living in a free country to grow up in and be nurtured through. We tend to think that we are the only generation that is experiencing the kind of division we have going on now. And yet turmoil is hardly new. All stories of strife seem to bring expressed gratitude for everything positive in their lives…after the difficult times had ended.
We both hope next week you are celebrating everything positive in YOUR life! Very often people are on vacations and families celebrate away from each other. Marj and I will be doing just that! Celebrating together when you read this post! But it is what is in our hearts that is most important for all of us. Our beliefs are honored and we are free to express them. Our trials and tribulations of life can be set aside when we fill our hearts in gratitude and love for all that is RIGHT and BEAUTIFUL in our lives. While the 4th of July is NEXT Friday…start putting the love in your heart now for the upcoming time of celebration. Enjoy our holiday!