I may be a bit obsessed with grace. My name does mean “full of grace” after all, but maybe it is just because there is such a need for it. Grace can be a bit tricky to define and often carries with it a religious connotation, but for me grace is another word for love. What makes grace different is that it is love in action that is perceived to be undeserved. In my first draft of this blog post I talked about how humbled I felt by grace because I feel so undeserving, but then I had a coaching session with a remarkable woman, Kristin Hanggi, and my perspective shifted. Grace is actually a unique form of love that is humbling because it reveals the boundless nature of love; it is forgiveness, it is compassion, it is understanding. Grace grounds you in the truth that we are all connected and it resonates deep down because it says “I am the same as you.” Grace isn’t just given from on high; it is given laterally and that is what is so amazing. Love is a powerful entity and I want to be more open to it in my life. It is so powerful that it can be scary, but it is also extremely beautiful. There is a pervasive feeling of unworthiness that I feel and see, and grace should be what lifts us up, dusts us off and shines through us. Love is needed in this world. When we get an opportunity to share love, we should take it. When I witness an exchange that says “you are worthy,” it moves me and fills me with love. The balm of grace is a beautiful gift.
In a recent yoga session led by my talented sister, I learned that the area around the solar plexus is the core of our identity. And that is where I feel it when I see an act of mercy or kindness, an unexpected gift given and received, an extending of love where before there was hate. It moves me in the very center of my being, it resonates in my soul. May this holiday season be filled with love; breathe it in, savor it and share it with whomever you meet. You will be stronger and richer for it.