When I think about the holidays coming up I feel myself being very reflective of the year that is about to come to an end. What went right and what went wrong. What did I learn? What kinds of experiences did I have and how did they shape me. This year was a life-changing, life-affirming experience to which I will carry forward with me forever changed and influenced towards a more broad understanding of life, human interaction, and our true connection to the Divine. And through all the loss, the pain, and suffering I witnessed all around me this year I know one thing is true. When family has that rare and beautiful bond of “sticktogetherness”, you should consider yourself fully blessed. Over the year I have had many experiences of hearing of others and their hardships and often times it was because of family, or made worse because of a breaking down of that family bond. It made life much harder to push through the bad times when that link to those of relation were not there to offer their hand to hold through the storms of life.
Last night I got to witness a beautiful bonded family. It wasn’t just the laughter and conversation. It wasn’t just the sharing of a Christmas dinner and the exchange of gifts and memories. It was the sharing of hugs, smiles, plans and ideas and adventures, openness and genuine interest and caring of the other that truly builds and solidifies bonds that create family “sticktogetherness”. This bond can create a bedrock in your heart that lets you know that whatever comes your way, you know you have solid ground to stand on. I often think of lighthouses and how they guide people through storms to safety and safer shores. But these lighthouses stand strong against the wind, unrelenting surf, and rain because of the rocky solid ground they are built on. What good would a lighthouse be if it were built on shifting sands? That solid ground in life is family and it is a wonderful, powerful, healing blessing when you are surrounded by those of relation who stand behind you and help you up when you fall without judgment or expectations of reciprocation.
If you find yourself during these holidays without this strong familial bond in your life, focus your love inward and start anew from yourself with outward focus. All is not lost. Be a rock for others on which to stand and you will find your ground will grow solid as well. Soon you will find your footing and you will feel restored, balanced, and able to weather the passing storms in your life. Be the hand for others to hold and the universe will give back to you that which you gave.
Love and Light to the Keast family.