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Bring Light and Healing to
Your Family
for the Holidays
by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
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Graceful may not be the first word that comes to mind
when you think of your family holiday gatherings.
Perhaps you love your family, but you realize they need a
little … work. No family is perfect and not every family
is as conscious as you'd like them to be, but there is
hope. You can be the bringer of light in your house and
with your relatives ... the one who lovingly tries to
bring healing and joy to the tribe.
A Family-Friendly Ritual
In my book, A Goddess Is A Girl's Best Friend, the Roman
Goddess Lucina (know in modern times as St. Lucy) is
portrayed as the bringer of light. She has the ability to
see with spiritual eyes, and she teaches us to do the
same. This gives us greater compassion and allows us
to see things as they are … and, also, as they can be.
Call upon her energy to help you in your role as light
bringer to your family during this holiday season.
Mini Rituals of Thanks and Love
There are many ways to evoke a sense of closeness and
evoke that warm and toasty family feeling. In fact,
you can turn the meal into a sacred event that everyone
can easily participate in - without them even knowing!
This will turn a ho-hum gathering into "a
moment" that can uplift all. (By the way, you can
adapt this to a gathering of friends, too!)
1. Hug a loved one: During the schmoozing
part of the family gathering, before the food is served,
forget about meaningless chit-chat. Instead, hug the
people you love and tell each them something you love
and/or appreciate about them. This can be a complement
about someone's hair, outfit or cooking, to an
acknowledgment of someone's sweet nature, kindness,
generosity, brilliance, et al. Hugging, along with
offering a few kind words, is a warm expression that can
do wonders. It will automatically raise the energy of the
gathering.
2. Play a piece of music. Music opens the
heart and uplifts the spirit. Make sure you bring some
terrific, inspiring CDs to the family gathering and or
select family favorites that everyone can relate to and
maybe even sing along to. Any music and song that warms
the heart will get people in a good mood and settle their
energy.
3. Say Grace. Even if your family has
never said a dinner prayer in their lives, suggest one
this year; or add this prayer to the customary grace that
is said at dinner. Adapt this prayer to your families'
religious and spiritual beliefs:
Mother, Father, God, Divine Spirit of all there is, we
thank you for this opportunity to gather together in one
another's company. We thank you for the light you bring to
this family gathering.
Family life has its ups and downs, but when all is said
and done, here we are, together again. Please grant us the
vision to see the highest in one another, and grant us the
opportunity to continue to be there for each other in good
times, as well as not-so-great-times.
Give us strength and fortitude to ride the tides of
change, and empower us always to be nurturing and loving
with one another. Open our spiritual eyes that we may see
one another for who we truly are … and love one other in
the same spirit.
May sadness, disappointment and anger be minimal; may
happiness, positive thoughts and good experiences together
be bountiful. May we always cope, and hope, with each
other… with grace.
We thank the Divine for this delicious dinner, prepared
with love. May all consumed here tonight fill us with
health and well-being. Amen. Dig in!
4. Close with desert and thankfulness. At
the end of the meal, invite everyone to sit and enjoy
wonderful desserts, and then ask them to take a moment to
think of something that they are thankful for. Go
around the table and let everyone speak (if they want). It
may seem a little awkward at first (especially for the
family jokesters) but people love it! It's gets them
thinking and it gives them a platform for speaking and
sharing.
May you have plenty of opportunities to
gather and say grace. May this Holiday Season be blessed
in all ways!
Rev. Laurie Sue’s column this month is
adapted from her book, A Goddess
Is A Girl's Best Friend: A Divine Guide To Finding Love,
Success and Happiness, Laurie Sue Brockway, (Perigee
Books, December 2002, $14.95).
© Copyright 2003 Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway All Rights
Reserved.
Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway is
an interfaith minister who is often called upon to
teach, speak and write about women’s spirituality and
The Feminine Faces of God. She is author of, A GODDESS
IS A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND: A DIVINE GUIDE TO FINDING
LOVE, SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS, from Perigee Books,
December 2002.
For more information:
Website: www.GoddessFriends.com
or to join "The Goddess
List" for inspirational and informational
electronic message, Email: GoddessLaxmi@aol.com
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