November 2009     
             Reflection                        
   
Honoring the Ancestors

“All my ancestors live undiminished in me and will 
continue to live, united with me, in my descendants.”
                                                    --Miguel de Unamuno

Ancestors are honored, remembered and celebrated worldwide. Whether it is Memorial Day or the Day of Dead, each culture takes time to pay respect to the dead; those who have gone before us and have paved the way for our own lives to be better because of their own efforts. How will you be remembered? What legacy will you leave? What stories will the generations of the future retell about you and your life journey? 

Many indigenous traditions believe that the male ancestors stand behind us on the right side of the body, and the female ancestor spirits stand behind us on the left side of the body. They believe that the ancestor spirits are invested in seeing that the current generations and the generations to come fulfill their dreams of life purpose. This old European ancestral song passed down through oral traditions, clearly states how ancestors may support us: 

“Oh may this be the One who will bring forward 
the good, true and beautiful in our family lineage; 
Oh, may this be the One who will break the harmful family patterns, 
or harmful cultural patterns.
Oh, may this be the One."

Reflection: