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Did you notice the sacred?

This time of year my inbox is flooded with emails urging people to make the holidays feel more sacred. What if life were already sacred and you just didn’t notice? What does the word sacred mean, anyway?

My definition of sacred has an element of spirituality in it… and has a bit of connectedness in it… maybe magic. Presence definitely has something to do with it… and lightness of spirit too.

Is candlelight sacred? What about peace and quiet? Is nature sacred? Flowers and incense? What is it that actually makes something sacred? And while we’re thinking about that, let’s ask the opposite question too… what isn’t sacred? Are noisy kids not sacred? How about socks on the floor or a sink full of dishes? Toys and gifts? How about pie?

According to the dictionary, the word  sacred  means “worthy of worship, highly valued and important;, deserving great respect.”

Hmmmm… maybe pie deserves great respect….

What is highly valued by me may not be highly valued by you. So with that thought in mind, nothing is inherently sacred. If nothing is inherently sacred, then only what we make important is sacred. And perhaps we are making things important that we do not actually value and so we can not feel sacred. Sacred could be sitting right in front of us, so ask yourself, am I seeing things as I want to see them?

Are socks on the floor sacred? Your children? Are those socks just a symbol that there are children living in your house? If your relationships are sacred, then why not the socks?

What about pies? In our house they are sacred. They are the topic of conversation, laughter, plans, time spent and a symbol of a family that cherishes their time eating together.

Are dirty dishes sacred? Not if we look at them with disrespect. But when we see the dirty dishes as a symbol of a family gathered together from miles apart, and a reminder of joyfulness despite personal differences, then they become an important, even sacred symbol.

What is sacred to you? Look around using this new definition. Do you see anything in your environment that didn’t seem sacred before but now takes on a new meaning?

The string of electric lights on the table next to me is a symbol of the Christmas decorations I’ve had since I was 15. My aunts gave them to me as a special gift. A moment ago I saw them as clutter… but how could such a special item be viewed as such? They are sacred…

Scissors left out on the floor are a symbol of my children’s creativity and inventive spirit. The dish soap, nearly empty, has been washing dishes for our family so that we can create food and eat together.

Our compost bucket, filled to the brim, is a symbol of the amazing farm fresh food that we eat and are so blessed to have in our life.

The pie box sits on the counter with a half eaten pie made by my sister in law… Well we already explored how sacred that is…

Even the clutter, the mess, the disorganization in my home shows me that I’m surrounded by the sacred if I choose to see it that way. A simple shift in perspective changes circumstances magically.

Nothing is inherently sacred. So what will you make sacred this holiday season, if that is how you want to feel? How can you see your life as sacred without changing a thing? When you find the sacred right in front of you, the holiday magic will come to life.

In Joy,

Ani Anderson