Rites of Passage

 As noted in my last post, these past days have been important ones in the life of our family. We gathered for important rites of passage in the life of our family: a graveside service to bury my father's ashes and our granddaughter Maren's open house to celebrate her graduation from high school. Surrounding and filling each event and all the in-between times was love, especially the love of reuniting with loved ones whom we had not seen for over a year. 

After the brief (It was hot!!!!), but just right service for my Dad, I asked the representative from the cemetery if they had been busy since Covid restrictions had loosened. "Yes," he said and noted that many families whose loved one had been buried during the pandemic were returning for a more formal and planned service. "We need the ritual, the acknowledgement of change in our lives," he said. 

How good it is to do that. 

After the service for Dad, we met at my sister and brother-in-law's home for food (of course) and to relax into each other's company. I brought all of Dad's diaries and photo albums, which our daughter had organized for him many years ago. Such pleasure those gave him, and  we all wondered how often he had leafed through them. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren shared their memories, as they looked at the pictures, but they also asked questions about their Papa. 

At Maren's open house friends, young and old, as well as family, enjoyed all the pictures arranged on poster boards telling Maren's story, as well as the board with the map showing where she will be canoeing in Alaska this summer. 

I know even if our family did not have such milestone reasons to gather that we would have loved these days, but the events gave us the context, the structure for reconnecting and telling stories, and sharing who we are and how we have weathered the last months, especially the toughest of days. In a way these rites of passage remind us what binds us as family and as friends, and we were extravagant in our love for each other.

Events, such as graduation, confirmation or other religious ceremonies, significant wedding anniversaries or as we age, retirement or a move into different housing, are not just rites of passage for the person in the spotlight.  Rather, rites of passage are for the wider circle of family and friends and in some cases, the community. These rites of passage symbolize the past blending into the present, but also leading us into the future. 

We have gone through a major chunk of time when we have not been able to celebrate these rites of passage, but it is not too late. If nothing else, celebrate the gift of today, for each day is a rite of passage. 

An Invitation
What rite of passage needs to be honored and celebrated in your life? I would love to know. 

NOTE: You may recall that in January I offered free copies of "Crossing the Threshold, Honoring the New Year, A Guide to Reflect on the Old and Prepare for the New." Well, I have written  a new spiritual guide, "Summer Spirituality, A Guide to Enhance the Gifts of the Season." To receive your free copy, email me at nagneberg48@gmail.com and I will forward you a copy.