Now What?

We made it! We’re still here! Yay, Earth! You held on and now hold us at your bosom for yet another day.

How glad I am that the Mayans simply ran out of stone; that the alignment of our dear solar system with the Galactic Center of our beloved Milky Way does not signal the end of time.

What makes us concoct terror-filled stories of doom and gloom? Are we simply externalizing our deepest interior fears to give them a shape to hate or blame?

I remember how satisfying it was, when I was in the throes of my healing process, to bash my fist against the (empty) passenger seat in my car. I was railing against the injustices dished out on little kids who have no power. I was demonizing my father and other authority figures who did me dirty and I was smackin’ ‘em up side the imaginary head. It was good to have a target for that free-floating anxiety, angst and anger. It was goood to ka-pow, ka-boom, ka-vaporize them with my fist while driving the freeways on my way to pick up children from school. It helped me to be a better mom - to get that rage out of me in my alone time. It helped me to be there for my daughters without so many trigger-buttons shining brightly on my shirt for them to push.

It’s the JOB of our children (or spouses) to push our buttons! How else would we ever clean up our act, do our healing work or unburden ourselves of the baggage of the past? Our offspring and significant others are here as helping guides; to point out the smelly left-over bits of our own childhood and beg us to please chuck ‘em, digest ‘em, HEAL them!

So, here we are - post predicted Mayan Apocalypse. NOW WHAT?? Same ol’, same ol’? Or is it time for re-evaluation and truly chucking what isn’t working and adopting some new strategies for surviving together on the planet?

The movie, Life of Pi is a good metaphor for our age. We’re sharing a small life boat with some pretty voracious (internal) beasts. If the world were about to end, how do we envision ourselves making the most of it? Do I want to buy a gun? Do I want to buy some flowers? Or not to buy anything at all, but rather give away all I possibly can, as quickly as I can to those in need of something?

As Solstice yields to Christmas, the list I made of seeds to nurture in the coming year is a growing list. It does include more time to socialize with those I love, and to play on the planet with fearless joy.

All the trite (and true) phrases make sense to me: Dance like nobody’s watching, love like you’ve never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, and live as if heaven is on earth. Friday night, I sang to some friends. I pretended they couldn’t hear me and I was singing for myself. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever sung, but I didn’t die.

Thanks, mama earth, for continuing to spin through space and proving to the universe at LARGE how limited we humans are in our understanding of it all. I’m enjoying  "humilitude" with Deep Gratitude!

May all your celebrations be filled with JOY, light, love, lots of laughter and GRATITUDE!

Humilitude Optional.

Solstice Song  Words and music by Melinda Maxwell-Smith 1989

Solstice, a time when the sun stands still

Four days it seems to rise in place.

At the southern most point on its yearly journey

It stops to fill us with grace

Winter Solstice, a time of dark and cold

At rest, the womb, the tomb of Earth

She holds on to life and She waits for the Sun

And promises all re-birth.

Chorus: Solstice, bring the sunlight back again

Solstice, bring the spring and return and return

So, we celebrate with warmth and joy

And await the return of the sun, our jewel

We kindle our love and our hope with inner light 

As we plant a seed for our renewal.

Chorus…

The Earth, the Water, the Fire, the Air return, return…