Perhaps inspired by sudden-onset spring weather—a harbinger of impending outdoor family celebrations–people were flipping each other off en masse in the parking lot at Costco as if responding to an invisible choreographer as we ventured in to order a graduation cake. Clinging to our over-sized, bumper car-like cart as we navigated the crowded warehouse aisles, my daughter burst into tears over a classmate’s apparent texted attempt to deliberately exclude her. Again.
Wilted lilies, growing up too soon, and a recipe for forgiveness
It all started benignly enough the Thursday night before Easter with a lovely discussion and meditation in my weekly A Course in Miracles class. We considered The Gift of Lilies in Chapter 20, wherein we learn that the true meaning of this most sacred of Christian holiday turns out to be not unlike the true meaning of Christmas, Groundhog Day, April Fools’ Day, Halloween, or any other day of the year–learning to take back responsibility for our own peace of mind. You know; rather than attributing it to everyone and thing seemingly “out there” on which we project our guilt over secretly believing we succeeded in separating from the forever-loving fold of our one eternal wholeness.