Whatever you’re doing today….
Perhaps you could take a moment to pause…
Light a candle…(you might be doing that anyway)
And create an intention…
And remind yourself of your story.
I searched for a new story about light. We’re all celebrating it, each in our own way.
But I kept coming back to the strongest of images.
The children’s faces as they light the candles for Chanukah.
Counting Christmas trees as we drove through a cold and blustery Dublin night.
The candles lit in the church where I heard my first mid-night mass.
The Chanukah presents placed lovingly around the table set for Friday-night-dinner.
And I realized that I don’t need a new story.
This is my story of light.
This is my holiday story.
And it is a story of gratitude.
Thanks for those moments and memories.
But also immense gratitude to you; my friends, my readers, my clients, my colleagues.
Thank you for holding the story space. Thank you for trusting and blessing me with your stories. Thank you for being such an important part of the creation of my vision in Story Coach.
I can’t wait to see what story awaits us in 2012!
What story are you creating during this holiday season?
I’d love you to share it below!
Best wishes and best stories
Lisa
I just came from a lecture in which we read a poem by the Israeli poet, Gordon in which he writes of how the ultra-Orthodox Jews put down women. He brought in all the negative stereotypes imaginable that are quoted from Scripture that put women down. I put in my two cents about how Hanukkah “davka” puts women on a pedestal so that when we light the candles – women don’t have to do housework while the candles are lit. But I could see that my point wasn’t really understood since I didn’t give them the story. After class I consulted my friend who also lectures on Judaic subjects and he filled me in. So let me shed some light on this topical issue which has Israel on international news as segregating women. Hanukka is uniquely of all the Jewish holidays – the holiday that allows women to light the candles FOR men. It is to remember the heroines who helped bring salvation to Israel. In the time of the Greeks tyranny over the Jews – they passed an edict that all new virgin brides must be granted to the bishop before taken to their husband. This incensed Judith who decided to do something about it. At the wedding, with the guards waiting outside to take the bride to the bishop, she boldly confronted her brothers by stripping naked in front of the whole company. Her brothers were appalled, but she said that Jacob’s sons in the Bible killed all of the city of Shechem (Nablus) to avenge their sister’s honor, and they’re letting this despicable practice go on. Well, Judith was determined to fight. At her wedding, she said she wanted to be with the more senior Halperon, the chief commander of the Greek enemy’s armed forces. They agreed. She had all night to see to it that he was sufficiently drunk, whereupon she retrieved her concealed weapon and killed the villain. It occurred on the first of the Hebrew month. So that now every first of the month has become a women’s holiday where housework need not be done. Happy Hanukka!
I’m a mom of seven wonderful, grown children and the wife of a mentally disabled husband, the father of my seven children. He has struggled with a genetically inherited disorder that is now under control. So my holiday intention is for our family to finally feel like the family we were meant to be. To let love heal all as we just enjoy each other and for each of us to feel accepted fully for all that we truly are, because of the grace and mercy and unconditional love, and last but not least, the powerful, life-changing truth of our Creator, our heavenly Father. He is the best Father there could ever be and He loves us all.
Amen, what a beautiful prayer Julia…wishing you and your family the very best this christmas…Lisa
lol(;