Throughout history, showing appreciation for a gift, whether an abundant harvest or a kind word, has been a stabilizing factor of a civilized culture. The Romans had their Ludi Cereales, or feasts in honor of the goddess Ceres, as well as a festival called the Vinalia Ristica in which a priest collected the year’s first ripe grapes and blessed the crops. In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival, known as the Moon Festival, has been celebrated for over 3,000 years, where family and friends unite to pray for good fortune. In India, there is the Capricorn celebration in January, featuring door-to-door singing and requests for treats. And celebrations have occurred around the world among Native American tribes long before the pilgrims. There was the ‘Green Corn’ festival to celebrate the harvest each year, and before the celebration, participants went and made peace with anyone with whom they had disagreed in the prior year.
It was Rudyard Kipling who said, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” It may be time to change today’s story of this blessed holiday we are now celebrating, from a time of family, friends, food, and assessing one’s blessings to a time of navigating the holiday ‘specials.’ Let us ponder the views of our Native Americans and, together, celebrate the Green Corn Festival, whose protocol requires much more than cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, my holiday favorites. Let’s aspire to take time this week to find those with whom we have disagreed, no matter the size or significance and address this: the likely overworked policemen who felt your excessive speeding should be controlled, or the underpaid TSA representative who could not, per her training, let your expensive shampoo through the bag scanning, or a neighbor whose property is cluttered with unmanaged ‘junk’ diminishing the ambiance of the neighborhood, or that friend who is forever late to every event, but always has a good “reason.”
There are simple steps one can follow to make peace, which can apply to honor this year’s Green Corn Festival, as well as throughout one’s life.
- Be willing to be there, calmly, listen, and observe the other with whom you disagree.
- Ask if they have the same disagreement.
- How does it make them feel? Listen to their viewpoint, without interrupting or correcting.
- Ask them to listen to your viewpoint in the same manner as #3.
- Find something for which you both agree.
- If you learn of an issue the other person cannot handle on their own, help them.
- The same would apply to you: ask for help and be willing to receive it.
- Look around and see if there are any others with whom you may have a disagreement, and repeat 1-7.
- You will feel invigorated and likely have a big appetite for another piece of that pumpkin pie!
We are thankful for the opportunity to help you take your Dream to Mainstream. And if you need help celebrating your Green Corn Festival, resolving disagreements, or taking the steps above, feel free to give us a call.
Gillian