“Walking, I can almost hear the redwoods beating. And the oceans are above me here, rolling clouds, heavy and dark. It is winter and there is smoke from the fires. It is a world of elemental attention, of all things working together, listening to what speaks in the blood. Whichever road I follow, I walk in the land of many gods, and they love and eat one another. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.” ― Linda Hogan
The Soul Matters theme of the month is Heritage, and what came to mind for me right away as I explored those resources is the movie Coco, that we have recently been rewatching and reflecting on at home. (If you have not watched it – or even just rewatched it recently, I recommend it!) A significant message I take from that story is that our relationships with our family and ancestors can sometimes be painful and complex, but that being open to learning from and embracing one (in healthy ways, of course) is important. We won’t always understand why the people we ended up in families with behave the way they do, but healing from the ways we have been hurt can be truly relieving and powerful.
This month, as we reflect on the ancestry of our family lineage or other aspects of heritage that we associate with (such as that of our church or other groups we belong to), may we hold compassion and grace for one another as we remember just how beautifully and painfully complex our web of life is. Let us hold reverently and gratefully the countless beings who came before us.