Creations Magazine

Talking Our Walk

A funny thing happened when Erica Settino, our Editor-at-large, submitted her regular column, Expanding the Circle — it became this Talking Our Walk. Andrea and I immediately recognized that Erica had captured the very essence of how we intended to lead in to our Holidays Issue — only better. Erica is more family than staff, and we collectively share the intention of “walking the talk” of spreading kindness, compassion, peace and goodwill to all life forms, during this season, and always. This is our reason for every season.

~ Neil & Andrea

It’s that time of year again. That blessed time when even the busiest of those amongst us pause to reflect on those things in life that matter most. Though the distractions of material want and perceived necessity remain, you have to admit, there is something about the holidays – no matter which you celebrate – that for a large majority, brings a sense of joy. Sure all the stressors are there. And dare I say getting worse by the year. But if we’re really paying attention, and if we ourselves are engaging in the true meaning of the holiday spirit, then we can notice that there is a distinct shift in the people and world around us. Words and phrases like rejoice, joy, peace on earth, and good will toward men, are everywhere. Brightly lit windows flash messages of happy holidays and good tidings. Countless children are reminded that Santa is checking his list. The menorah is lit with care – recounting a history too-often forgotten. Traditions old and new are in full swing, and to me, it’s all so blissfully hopeful.

When I was younger I actually thought the holidays brought out the worst in people. I saw my family acting in what I thought was pretense and as a cynical and hurt teenager I deemed them all hypocrites. Sometimes things were rough for much of the year, and I wondered why it was expected that just because it was Christmas I would forget the reality of our everyday lives. But the truth is, I always did. And now I see that it wasn’t pretense but hope, forgiveness, and the desire to start anew that led my family to come together in spite of the difficulties and try again. It was in fact, everything the holiday claims it should be.

Today, like many of you, I’m sure; I am left wondering why we let it all end on New Year’s Day. The messages that we spread and receive at the holidays are at the very essence of who we are as a human race. This very real desire for peace and good will for all exists within each and every one of us.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so astutely said our “reality hinges on our moral foundations.” We create our reality with every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we take. We literally shape our world and that of those around us. If you pray for peace on the holidays, why stop there? Why not pray to foster peace for all living beings everyday? If you truly wish good will for all, why not take extra measures to ensure you aren’t harming others? And why not extend your notion of others to include those who are different from you but still wanting and deserving of their own peace and happiness?

It’s that time of year. The time to pause and reflect, the time to consider others in ways you may not have before. The time when we realize that our very own happiness is intertwined with the happiness of all living beings – human and non-human alike. It’s nothing we don’t already know. But it’s the reminder we need to come back to our hope, to forgive and be forgiven and to begin again.

Erica Settino is the Editor-at-large of Creations Magazine and a long-time writer, yoga teacher and animal activist. Through her teaching, writing, and nonprofit organization, Karuna For Animals: Compassion In Action, Inc., she works to promote compassion, non-violence, and kindness for all living beings. Information about Erica and her yoga classes: www.yogaturtle.net.

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