Dear Gatherers,
My dear friend's ex-husband and father of her sons died in a tragic accident last week. I was asked to officiate his Celebration of Life. I prepared for days, intent on offering the perfect words, playing the perfect music, reciting the perfect poetry. I wanted the occasion to be authentic, meaningful, inclusive and inspiring. Hundreds of people joined on Zoom to pay their respects. In the calm environment, a deep sense of community was created. As at most funerals, there were heart-felt tributes, laughter and tears. I brought the group into a momentary meditation, breathing in love and releasing loss, focusing on sending love and support to the family. When the service was over, I was overcome with emotion. There was sadness and exhaustion as well as pride that it had been so well received. But there was something more. The evening had been a demonstration of respect, civility, decency, openness, vulnerability and support. The atmosphere had been devoid of judgment, cynicism, rancor or dissension. Everyone was united in love. I woke up the next morning to the sound of my two year old granddaughter giddy with laughter. She ran all over the house, shrieking with delight about everything and nothing. When she snuggled in my lap to hear a story, she was excited, present and curious. My heart was bursting with joy as I watched my two daughters engage with her. There was nothing but acceptance and warmth. Everyone was united in love. It's not surprising that end of life and early life evoke similar emotions. But can't we summon those sensations more often?
"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence." Erich Fromm
That source of deep love is within us all, waiting and wanting to be accessed.
In the words of Charles Dickens, "a loving heart is the truest wisdom".
We can unite in love, no matter the circumstances.
Connect with and invite love in, as often as you can.
See love in the faces of your family and friends. Feel love as you walk on the sand at the beach or as you pet your cat or dog. Hear love when you listen to a favorite piece of music. Experience love in the moments of silence when you are hiking.
It's all around us. Edith Eger, a Holocaust survivor and author of The Gift, reminds us that "we're born to love. We learn to hate. It's up to us what we reach for. " Choose love. Reach for love. Express love. Unite in love.
In our broken world, nothing else will work
Uniting in love is what The Gathering is about.
Join us on Sundays at 4 PT/ 7 ET for an hour of meditation, reflection and sharing.
REGISTER HERE:
https://www.thegathering-la.com/events-1/sunday-hour-of-calm-11
Love is all we need. Really.
Please forward this newsletter to someone you think could use a little nurturing.
With love and light,
Nora Plesent
Lawyer/Entrepreneur/Mom/Immersive Meditation Leader/Ripple Maker
UPCOMING EVENTS!!!
SUNDAY GATHERING WITH NORA AT 4 PT/ 7 ET
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AND JOIN US ON FRIDAYS AT 9 AM PT ON IGTV thegathering.la
FOR FRIDAY FLOW IN FIVE, A SHORT, POWERFUL FREE MEDITATION TO GROUND AND CALM YOU!!
BE STILL AND SOAR, AN ONGOING, ONLINE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO CONNECT YOU TO YOUR PRIVATE SELF, DEEPEN YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND HELP CLARIFY YOUR PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY.
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