Back in November I confessed to you all about my struggles living up to the highest aspirations of our Unitarian Universalist faith in that most trying of places — Costco on a Saturday. As promised, throughout Advent I took extra care to be mindful in the places and situations that tended to bring out selfishness. I strove to encounter those situations with an open mind and heart, thinking more about others and less about my own comfort or convenience. I am happy to report that the holiday season (complete with air travel and shopping malls) offered no shortage of opportunities for reflection and learning!
So, without further ado, here are my three lessons from my Advent practice: inconvenience won’t kill you, kindness grows, and get convicted.
First Lesson of Advent: Inconvenience Won’t Kill You (Unless You Let It)
I credit every minute I spent in a parking lot during Advent with the learning of this lesson. There is just something special about a parking lot or parking structure in mid-December, don’t you think? People cutting you off, people not looking before they back out of a space, people practicing for their career as an amateur Nascar driver . . . such a variety of inconvenient behavior! It was easy for me to start participating in all of it — honking my horn, driving too fast, and jockeying for spaces. But this Advent reminded me that inconvenience is not going to kill me! If it takes 10 extra minutes to get groceries, that’s actually quite small in the grand scheme of life. Inconveniences only take over our lives if we forget to have some perspective.
Second Lesson of Advent: Kindness Grows
This second lesson came from a middle seat on a long holiday flight. I ended up in a middle seat at the back of the plane, and I could feel myself starting to get disgruntled. And it turned out that the aisle seat was occupied by a father and his toddler. Hoo boy, a recipe for in-flight irritation! But I remembered my Advent practice. And then I remembered that our UU Principles call us to build community and act with compassion (pesky Principles). And I saw how tired the parent next to me looked. And so I made the choice that I would do my best to respond with kindness. While that was not always easy, every time I handed back a dropped shoe or doll or sock (or errant foot that found its way over the armrest), I did it with a smile and a shrug. As a result, I got to spend my flight exchanging positive energy with my fellow passengers. Kindness, however small, grows.
Third Lesson of Advent: Get Convicted
This third lesson came from lots of places, but mostly from observing the Black Lives Matter protests on Christmas Eve. Protesters shut down access to terminals at airports in Minneapolis-St. Paul and San Francisco. My very first thought upon seeing the news coverage was, “Phew, I’m glad I’m not traveling there today.” And then I realized what a selfish gut reaction that was. I believe that the Black Lives Matter movement is crucial to our country’s future. We need to address racism within our law enforcement and criminal justice systems. Systemic racism “interrupts” the lives of people of color — particularly Black people — every day in our country. Acknowledging my own first reaction to the protests really convicted me, really reminded me of how I can always be doing better to align my life with my highest values.
With the dawn of 2016, I’ll be doing my best to put inconvenience in perspective, grow my kindness, and get convicted about living out my highest values. May 2016 bring us all lots of opportunities to live our Unitarian Universalist Principles!
-Hannah