Holidays

Today is Mother’s Day, and Helen and I gathered with some friends to celebrate the occasion. I asked everyone to reflect on their experiences with their own mothers, as well as for those who are mothers themselves to reflect on that part of their lives. While we enjoyed a delicious brunch, people shared memories, appreciations, as well as challenges and wishes.

On this day, my thoughts naturally turn to my own mother, who died just a couple of days before Mother’s Day in 2013. She was the most caring, generous, and loving person I have ever known, and whatever I am in those areas comes mainly from her. She had a heart as huge as the sky. She was a loving presence in my life for over 60 years, from my first breath in life to her last breath in life. She was always there for me, always rooting for me, always eager to do what she could to support me. Of course we had our challenges and conflicts over the years, but the bond was very deep and very caring. It still is, and always will be.

And yet, so many people have not had that kind of experience with their mothers, or a mother themselves. On this day, More

Today, in the United States, is President’s Day, which honors the birthdays of two of the most revered of our presidents – George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But in this presidential election campaign, and a very crazy one at that, my thoughts turn to the current crop of candidates and who will end up the winner in November. Given the power of the office, so much of the nation’s well-being will depend on that person’s performance, although of course there are many other factors influencing how the country will fare.

Because there is a lot at stake in this election, I can’t help but look at the merits and drawbacks of the various candidates, as well as the overall process. In so doing, I feel great concern that there is far too much ego, negativity, reactivity, divisiveness, demagoguery, and disconnection from reality. There’s always some of that in the world of politics in general, and election years in particular, but this time around, it seems much more intense. But I also feel hope in the passion, empathy, truth-seeking, upsetting of the old order, and the vision and determination for real change.

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Today is St Valentine’s Day, a time we focus on love, which in popular culture usually means romantic love with its common expressions of chocolate, roses, greetings cards, intimate dinners, and anything heart-shaped. Nothing wrong with any of those things – Helen and I shared some of them with each other. But in reflecting on love more deeply, there’s so much more. Here are some aspects that others have so thoughtfully articulated.

Our UU Minister, Paul Sawyer, talked this morning about attention as the essential heart of all love. By paying attention to our beloved, to who they are, to their needs and joys and concerns, to what we can see and what is somewhat mysterious, to what is constant and what is ever-changing in them and our relationship to them – all of this, and more, connects our hearts and souls. Simply paying attention, that’s all. Simple, but not so easy, of course! Yet, More