Labor day-another holiday weekend in a 2020 pandemic-Holiday or traditions during the pandemic can bring about some tough moments. The memories or cling to how we did celebrate or should be able to celebrate can show up, the tiredness over the effort we have to go through to participate in ways we want to that we didn’t have to before, and even the judgements we might have on ourselves and others for where we are at and or how others celebrate. The irony is these are all NORMAL thoughts and emotions….yet one of the most common things I hear, read or see in media is the desire to be BACK TO NORMAL …..Here we are in the NORMAL….. our minds get to have NORMAL moments like these and well will have them regardless if we want to our not so if you find yourself noticing one of these NORMAL thoughts or emotions celebrate because noticing and being with it rather than being owned by it is a powerful gift you just gave yourself. We don’t have to like it, we don’t have to embrace it and wrap up in it like a warm blanket but we can honor what we notice so that we can have these NORMAL moments and the hope is that as we practice this we start to see how these NORMAL moments can be held a bit more gently and released without being so attached to ourselves. Easy said and does hard, no question but for me the more I practice this I truly do find much more ease with myself and with others and I actually find a greater lightness with myself I laugh a bit more at the crazy NORMAL moments I catch or I give myself the permission to hold the NORMAL softly until it passes.
Finally Labor Day is a celebration in America for workers and their achievements-It came about because of many incredible hard years of suffering in our country. Years where Americans worked 12 hours a day 7 days week in so many cases just to take care of their basic needs. If ever a year where we can find some kinship to those who suffered so much during the labor movement that lead to Labor day I am not sure what is…..We have worked incredibly hard in 2020 during this pandemic as country and a community to be with the virus, struggle with economic downfall, take a deeper and real meaningful steps in the work we must do to rid the systemic racial injustice in our country, and the incredible effort we have had to put in to stay connected to those that are important in creative and safe ways…..WE have labored hard this year and will continue to. This Labor Day weekend my hope is that everyone take a moment to pause and reflect those moments of achievement you have had this year. When we still have much to do it is often hard to find space to see achievement let alone celebrate those achievements but when we do this we often can see how much left we still have in us to give…..Celebrating the achievements does not deny we are still in very hard times, we still have incredible suffering happening, and or that we have work to do but it absolutely can empower and motivate ourselves that we have it in us to continue to do the hard work.