Step into Target and you will be greeted by THE HOLIDAYS, whether you are ready for them or not! Rather than seeing these next few months as being marked by the traditional holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, I view them as a collective “Season of Gathering”. Not growing up in America, and being raised Buddhist, both these holidays have always been a little foreign to me, especially Thanksgiving. To be honest, I don’t think I am still crystal clear about it.
What home means to us comes into sharp focus during the holidays. Bringing those that mean the most together under one roof to break bread and celebrate is a ritual that is shared by all of us, regardless of the actual holiday we each commemorate. I am excited to be going home soon and to be taking my girls with me during the holiday season. This annual trip is a ritual of sorts and is at the core of who they are since I have been hauling them around the world since they were 6 months and 3 years old!
As they grow into young women and begin to spread their wings and lives into different parts of the country, I find myself thinking more about the types of ritualized gatherings that define our little family unit of four. I wonder how we hold on to the elements of these celebrations that are important to keep, because there is wisdom in tradition and generationally ritualized celebration. However, as we move through big life changes together, the reality that our foursome will grow to included significant others, and even, hopefully, the next generation looms closer, and I find myself asking WHY we gather when we do, HOW we come together and WHAT we choose to celebrate or commemorate.
In case you are curious about approaching this holiday season a little differently, I encourage you to listen to this podcast episode featuring Priya Parker, the author of The Art of Gathering. Lots of great questions to ask before planning an event! As with most good things, you have friends to thank for sharing them with you – shoutout to my friend Paola for sharing this episode with me!
If you do listen, I’d love to hear what specific gems helped you think differently about approaching the holiday season. After all, thoughtful change can be good!
Nilmini
