Give a Little Love....

Every year, it is the time when I catch a glimpse of the emerging Christmas adverts on telly that brings me a feeling of warmth and festive cheer, which often brings in the debate of when to put up the Christmas tree. This year no doubt there will also be discussion on what to do with Christmas...will lockdown persist or be repeated in waves? How will we all do Christmas? One thing seems certain, that Christmas will likely be different for many families in the UK, if not around the world. Many might have seen loved ones pass away or heard of those they know who pass, many might have lost their jobs or ended up in financial difficulty because of businesses closing, many might have experienced the pains of the Corona virus affecting their lives in one way or another....from a simple trip to do your weekly shopping at the supermarket and telephone appointments rather than in-person appointments with the doctors, to travelling to work and meeting friends for a meal....almost everything has changed within a few months. Even going to the vets for an annual check up became more painful and frightening for my cat BouBou, as I was not allowed to enter the vets with him because of the pandemic rules. We seems to be working with uncertainty, after uncertainty....in such a global climate what can we be truly certain of, and what can we really control?

From the bigger situations exploding around us to our inability to control happenings in our daily lives, it has brought many anxiety, fear and a feeling of helplessness. I have seen client after client in a state of overbearing anxiety, feeling lost, helpless and no longer themselves....emotional issues, harmful patterns, ruthless fears, or past hurts seem to craw out to the surface in a quickened pace threatening to swallow up and destroy all that they are. Reiki session by Reiki session we peel back the layers one by one, almost in a process of cleansing and clearing to work towards calm and peace again....some are surprised by how instantly miraculous it is, and some are delighted by the transformative shift they can feel, but there are also some who might feel better for a few days or just until their next session.

One thing I have found true no matter who the client...is that if they are willing to do the inner work to study the issue that has been brought up and bravely face it with compassion, they become part of that miracle or transformation....almost like they have finally gathered the courage, love and compassion to be Love itself. I often tell my clients that true self-love is not in a luxury labelled item, it is not in a manicure or a hot bath, or in just having a bit of time for yourself...because these are more like temporary fixes to cure symptoms of lacking love. 

For at the root of True Self-Love is an unconditional love and promise to be your own very best friend and most intimate lover no matter what you face in life....you will be there in mind, body, heart and soul for yourself no matter what happens. It is not about fighting, survival or selfishness....but it is about the patience to work with yourself through life's lessons moment to moment, the honesty of facing what you truly are or what you are not, the courage of letting go of harmful thought or behavioral patterns from your past that have kept you safe so far, the responsibility of righting a wrong to become a better being, the gentleness of holding yourself in a loving embrace that allows you to cry as well as heal, the compassion of forgiving yourself as well as others no matter how deep the cut, the gratitude to perceive all in your life with thanks and oneness, the wisdom to do what is most loving not only for yourself but for others too, the trust that you will always be okay again no matter what happens...and the faith that you are never alone because the Divine will always be there to guide you. It is a love that fully recognises the light within you, and a love that will help you to be even more giving, like a shining beacon to compassionately light the path for all those around you to see where they are more clearly.

And the most wonderful yet simple thing about love, is that it is something you can give not only to others, but to yourself too. It doesn't have to take a lot or doesn't need to be a great big action, it is about taking the first step so you can grow it one step at a time. So if there is one thing you are setting your mind or heart on for a Christmas present or New Year's resolution....why not try a little love?

Each of us happens to have a preference or a favourite Christmas advert, and this year I absolutely love the 'Give a Little Love' advert (watch the video below). This is a collaborative charity project run by John Lewis and Waitrose to raise money for two meaningful charities FareShare and HomeStart, which work on distributing food and volunteer support for vulnerable families who are in need. As many families will be experiencing difficulties this Christmas in putting food on the table, putting presents under the tree for their children or keeping well, such charities will become a lifeline and a ray of hope for the coming year to them. You can reach them here: 

John Lewis

Waitrose  

Another really worthy cause that is saving lives and playing an important part to save those most forgotten during this pandemic is PDSA and Celia Hammond Animal Trust. With the economy taking a downward dip as businesses close, jobs lost, homes become insecure and families' feeling broken, many household pets are either being abandoned or surrendered to animal charities, and pets suffering illnesses in need of medical attention are not receiving the treatments they need because of costs. Charities such as animal hospital PDSA or such animal rescue with clinic facilities as Celia Hammond Animal Trust really become a lifeline to save lives and allow many pets to remain with their families. As a cat lover myself, this is a cause that is close to my heart...and to see these charities help make sure no lives are forgotten in their plights is really touching as well as heartwarming....like a rainbow of hope for humanity. You can find them here:

PDSA

Celia Hammond Animal Trust

And of course not to forget, there is the long standing British Red Cross that is helping people survive not only in the UK, but across the globe! They are currently running a UK project to help those facing difficulties this winter, from donating and delivering food, to volunteers assisting the elderly returning from hospital...you can find them here: British Red Cross 

So whether you still need to do some Christmas gift shopping, want to do something meaningful to bring more hope into our struggling world, or just want to do a good turn to light others' path, please do consider purchasing from them or donating to them. In this challenging global pandemic, we are all affected and looped in this crisis together, so now more than ever is the time to send more light out into the world....by lighting a candle, your one good turn will reach out to light even more paths out in the world. This Christmas and New year let us bring more hope and gratitude out into the world.

Lastly on this festival of giving thanks that is Thanksgiving, I would like to thank you for being supportive of my continued blogging. I would also like to give thanks for every action and intention that brings more light into our world....may your every kind action light up the world with more beauty, peace and love. 

In loving Kindness,

May ♥ 

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