Gentle Repurposing
The 1976 Flexible Flyer used to help my partner race downhill with siblings and enjoy all of the magic that a New England winter had to offer to children playing in the snow. Everything about this piece of living nostalgia speaks to the adventure and even the riskiness of growing up with all of its bumps, bruises, and tumbles.
It seems like nowadays sleds are mostly made with molded plastic and aren’t nearly as flashy or fun as this metal rail mini sleigh. I also can’t help but wonder if the ever more rapidly shifting climate would even allow for enough deep snow long enough to use this treasure for its original purpose. There’s also deep questions of whether our now middle aged bodies should be rocketing downhill that fast.
We’ve helped my partner’s mother with a lot of death cleaning, the sort of relinquishment meant to reduce the burden on family and friends when the actual moment of bereavement arrives. Most of what we have removed from the childhood home has gone into annual yard sales, so a new family can enjoy the item for a few dollars. Some of it has ended up at the recycling center, doing our best to not create more landfill waste, where possible. The sled however stays.
It is a potent connection to the joys of childhood, even if it can’t be useful in the same ways today. It’s a reminder of the love of siblings, family, and adventures. As a part of rekindling this joy in a new context, we turned the sled into a part of the Christmas lights display this year. It was a wonderful way to celebrate past and present, and to recognize that this joy remains accessible, even now, when we are open to it.
This can be true of our childhood practices too. Perhaps the paper crafts, homemade holiday treats, candle lighting, summer camp songs, and rhyming childhood prayers simply don’t land the way they used to. The truth is, they probably shouldn’t. The part of you that cherishes these things needs to be coaxed to the forefront of your consciousness in order for the emotional and spiritual impact to be truly felt. This brings with it the risk of surfacing the unprocessed memories and experiences of that part of you as well.
This doesn’t mean we have to scrap every practice that illuminated our childhood, youth, or early adulthood. In fact, that would be to deny ourselves and our very real journey in the life of the Divine. Perhaps what’s needed is to explore whether a gentle repurposing can help us connect in new and meaningful ways, like the sled that now announces the festive joys and wistful remembrances of the Winter Holidays.
This turning over of the calendar year and the waning of celebrations like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Yule, can open us to exploring what we need to leave behind in 2024, what we might consider anew, and what things from our own past are ready to be purposeful in the present moment. It is in this moment that we, our practices, and the Holy One are all truly and fully present.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and whether you’re preparing for Winter adventures, or the beauty of Summer in the southern hemisphere, I hope that the days ahead give you moments of both joy and thoughtful pause.
Be gentle with yourself, you are worth it.
Peace and Everything Good,
The Rev. JM Longworth, OEF Spiritual Direction and Trauma Care
https://www.sdicompanions.org/sdi-profile/GreenMtFriarOEF/ To book an appointment: https://calendly.com/greenmtfriaroef