The Mystery and Magic of Celebration

I’ve always been enchanted by the magic of celebration.

In one of my indelible early memories, I’m coming down the stairs on the morning of my 6th birthday. As the dining room comes into view, I see a sparkling table with fresh cut roses and peonies from my mother’s garden, brightly wrapped packages on the sideboard table, and streams of summer light bathing the scene in a warm glow.

I feel a thrill bubble up from my tummy, and a catch in my breath.

All this beauty… Can it possibly be for me?

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I’ve thought about the impact of this moment, and why it has stayed with me for almost sixty years.

First, as the seventh of eight kids who often felt lost in the shuffle, this moment gave me a feeling that I mattered. Someone cared enough to create something special for me.

I probably also felt excited to find out what was inside those wrapped presents, and anticipated birthday cake (mom’s home made devil’s food cake with chocolate frosting) and ice cream later in the day. There might even be hot fudge!

But I think there was more to it. I believe it was the presence of Beauty itself, which spoke an invisible language to my soul and spirit.

Beauty is a transcendent force that can lift us into states of ecstasy. It sparks joy, inspires awe, and evokes something of the sacred.

In the years since that day, I’ve given great priority to celebration. When I look back at my most cherished memories, all of them are moments of celebration. They include milestone birthday retreats with dear friends… My wedding weekend…   Special handmade gifts I created to celebrate the people I love… Sacred rituals at Lucid Living retreats… My mother’s memorial… and countless others.

What greater gift can we give one another, than to reflect back the goodness, truth and beauty that is the highest expression of who we are?

Every one of these occasions was elevated by love and beauty into something sacred.

At its best, celebration offers the gift of being seen. When done well, it reflects something exalted of who we are, so we can receive ourselves.

What greater gift can we give one another, than to reflect back the goodness, truth and beauty that is the highest expression of who we are?

After much reflection, I chose these two lines for the Home page:

Gratitude is the Emotion.
Celebration is the Practice.

It has taken me a while to get to the place where I recognize celebration as the heart of my spiritual practice. For me, it is ultimately an expression of devotion. It is the spontaneous response of the heart to the supreme gift of life in all its sacred mystery.

Can it be that celebration is such an intimate act, that most people have a hard time staying present for it?

It’s curious to me that so many people use occasions of celebration to escape and distract, either with excessive alcohol consumption or misbehavior. Can it be that celebration is such an intimate act, that most people have a hard time staying present for it?

I’ve been witness to so-called celebrations that were heartbreaking, lost opportunities to give and receive love. I’ve seen people take advantage of a moment of extreme openness and vulnerability to cause hurt. We’ve all likely experienced those uncomfortable moments when someone offers a “toast” that is hostile in its sarcasm. When surrounded by untrustworthy people, “celebration” can be treacherous!

And so I am putting out the call for each of us to embrace real celebration.

With everything going on right now– tragic deaths from a global pandemic, uncertainty about the future and fears for our security, and most recently, the eruption of pain over George Floyd, and the systemic racism that MUST be placed front and center in our nation’s priorities– I’ve been feeling an even stronger pull to celebration.

I know there are many who feel the discomfort of celebrating, at a time when people are dying, and so many others are scared and in pain. The world appears to be coming apart.

Is celebration even appropriate?

Yes, it is. The world desperately needs celebration. I’m not talking about fiddling while Rome burns. We don’t need more numbing and distracting and avoidance.

At its core, celebration is about honoring.

Celebration isn’t always about an event or a party. At its core, celebration is about honoring.

Today is my 65^th birthday, and I chose this day to launch my site.

For me, it is the form of celebration that feels right. My way of honoring 65 years of gathered wisdom and overflowing joy is to create this online oasis, a place where I can offer love, hope and inspiration into the world.

In the months ahead, I look forward to diving deeper into the mysteries of celebration. I want to explore its magic, and share stories of meaningful celebrations that have changed my life, and inspire you to embrace it in your own way.

Will you join me in an exploration of celebration? If you need just a bit more convincing, here are just a few of the gifts that celebration offers.

Celebration:

• Stimulates higher levels of creativity
• Draws you into deeper intimacy
• Reveals the hidden gifts and treasures of your journey
• Lifts your resonance and opens gateways of receiving
• Reflects your growth and evolution
• Provides a bridge to the joyful life you dream of living
• Leads you to more of who you truly are

We need to be fully present, with ourselves, and with each other. We need to honor one another, by speaking the truth about where we are, what we fear, what we most desire, and how we can craft a loving world, and write the Global Great Story together.

Celebration can be a powerful antidote to a world in crisis.

Together, let’s dare to make every day a living celebration. We cannot yet imagine where it will take us.