Families and Thanksgiving

A recent experience as a volunteer brought up an issue from my childhood.  I recalled one weekend I spent hours taking care of household duties; laundry and ironing, vacuuming, dusting, baking.  When my mother came home, she asked me if I had also washed the floor.  I recall the feeling of pride rapidly deflating at that time.  With a higher understanding, I now realize that my service at that time (and also more recently) was not unconditional; I had expected to be "paid" with gratitude.  Families offer us unlimited opportunities to develop unconditional love, unconditional forgiveness and unconditional service.  For that we can be very grateful!

I think back to my mother and I realise that every day she took care of household duties and fortunately she did not stand by waiting for any of us children to thank her.  While we celebrated her contributions each year on Mother's Day, we learned from our father to express gratitude for the meal she lovingly prepared for dinner each day.  Further development of gratitude has taken time.

As I reflect on the amazing service offered by parents, guardians and ancestors, from teachers and coaches, from health care workers, from tradespeople, public servants and many more, I realise that the appropriate response to the service offered is to express gratitude and to "pay it forward," offering unconditional service.  When I think about the unconditional service offered by Mother Earth and Father Sun, without which there would be no life on Earth as we know it, the only response I can offer is unconditional service and gratitude.  When I think about the Divine, the source of all life,all my Soul Mothers and Fathers in all layers of Heaven and Mother Earth, the only response I can offer is unconditional service and gratitude.

I am so grateful to have the opportunity within my family to learn about service and gratitude and very grateful now to continue learning as we together create the Love Peace Harmony World Family! See more at:

Chant For World Peace

May the blessings you offer be felt far and wide and may they return to you multiplied manyfold!

Love,
Cynthia

What my ancestors bring to me

July 18, 2014

There are teachings in many of the faith paths on how we are to relate to our ancestors.  In the Christian path, the fifth commandment has a promise: 

Honour your father and your mother so that things will go well with you and you will have a long life on the earth (from Ephesians 6:2-3) 

I am fortunate to have had two sets of parents in this lifetime; the mother and father of my ancestral line and the mother and father who adopted and raised me.  I am deeply grateful to my adoptive parents, both of whom have now passed on.  While I never reconnected with the mother of my ancestral line before she passed on, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know about her through her first born, my beloved half-sister.  

I have been in contact with the father of my ancestral line off and on over the past 30 years and have had many opportunities to learn ever more deeply what it means to have gratitude for all that my ancestors bring to me.  I am so grateful for all of the blessings I have received from my ancestors; the blessing of being born in one of the most peaceful, stable areas of the Earth, the blessing of a healthy body. the blessing of educational opportunities, to name a few. And then there are the weaknesses; there has been much that I have seen and rejected, not understanding at the time that what I reject in my parents, is what I reject in myself, thus missing the opportunity to heal.  

How about you?  What aspect of your parents do you have difficulty loving?  How would your life be different if you could accept that difficulty as a gift, a message of an aspect of yourself to be purified; your gift back to your ancestors and to all humanity?

Today, more than ever, it is evident that humanity needs more love, peace and harmony, and you may ask, what can I do?  Begin with yourself and your family. 

Today let's show our gratitude and appreciation to our ancestors by chanting the Divine Soul Song of Love, Peace and Harmony for 15 minutes or more.  I invite you to share any insights you experience.

Chant For World Peace

May the blessings you offer be felt far and wide and may they return to you multiplied manyfold!

Love,
Cynthia