To the Beloved Community,
A Reflection from Amy Day, Fellowship Engagement Coordinator, HUUF
A letter to my daughter, upon turning 9
 I have been told that one of the greatest, revolutionary things I can do inside this life is to parent you well.
And though, at times, I balk at such an idea – Seriously. Aren’t there much bigger projects that need tending in this business of changing the world?…
… I also sense the wisdom here.
And so, my darling child, I want to say to you, as you grow into the person you are called to be:
May you, firstly, sense the bedrock of my love.
To know that, even when I do it wrong, or inadequately, there is an unshakeable foundation of acceptance, compassion, care.
You are safe, beloved, chosen with me.
This love does not have to be earned.
Rather, it is a gift embedded into my being – extended freely out to you.
It is a current that flows unfettered between us both.
May you always know my body is a home for you.
And when that someday falters – my heart serves as the same.
May you remember that you are called into this world not so much to consume – to find things to keep you company, comfortable, distracted – as you go about this life – but rather, to CREATE.
To serve as a proactive and powerful force for good.
May you come to witness your own pain and discomfort not as things to be avoided or disdained, but as holy and necessary labor pains that help you birth important shifts into the Universe.
Even if you cannot see it, your work is not in vain.
Leave this Earthen campsite just a little bit better than when you first encountered it.
Do not be penned in by the limited imagination of others.
Learn another language.
Love well & bravely.
Do not be afraid to be broken open by the pain & beauty of this world.
For that which shatters, can be rendered stronger down the line.
May you know yourself – not as the special, sunbeam, gleaming spark of a single individual – but as a reflection of the larger Light which flows in and through us all.
May you feel yourself held inside that Light.
And add your own, unique glimmer to its shine.
May you be generous.
May you be kind.
May you learn to ask forgiveness & not be bound by the confining narrative of past mistakes.
May you live simply.
Amassing the type of wealth that pays dividends in the realms of the social, spiritual, experiential & living world. Not in tiny treasures acquired for their own, fleeting sake.
May you find people who can lovingly call you on your own bullsh*t. And inspire you to your fullness.
For them, may you do the same.
May you – as you wake up to the horrors & injustices of this world – continue to dream of a better one just beyond the known horizon – and help to walk us gently toward that space.
May you learn to rest when you are tired.
To feed yourself – body, mind & spirit – with that which nourishes you deeply.
May you live a life you can look back on and be proud of.
Not because of the many boxes ticked, nor the accolades given, but measured by the depth to which you loved the souls you touched.
It has been said that how we do one thing, is how we do everything.
And so, as I hold your tiny, growing hand in mine once more – may we remember – us both – that in this way, we brush up against the palm of the Divine.
That what we touch – touches us in return.
And that the smallest contact leaves a mark.
With each footfall, you are striking upon sacred ground.
May you revel in this, my darling.
And make your imprint well. |
Do you have a way with words?
Our next Open Soul Matters group meets once more this Thursday, March 11th @ 10 am.
Intergenerational Spring Seminar – April 9-11, 2021, Online
There’s a wealth of opportunities available for teens right now who are passionate about Climate Justice.
