Acceptance is the Key

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First of all, Happy Imbolg! It is the time for returning to the light, the annual renewal of vows with our loved ones, and traditionally a good time to “put a bun in the oven”; the semi literal definition of the word Imbolg. Some pronounce it with a “c” as in Imbolc, but Imbolg is the correct pronunciation and spelling of the word as far as I understand, and is closer to its accurate pronunciation in modern English. Some believe it is to be celebrated on the first, but it actually extends to sundown on the 2nd, so Steve and I have traditionally celebrated Imbolg on the second. This is our 26th Imbolg together, and this April 1st, 2025, we will have 27 years together, a very blessed number. The reason that it is the best time to get pregnant is that nine months from now it will be Nov. 2nd, and that means that the women can work all spring and summer, give birth as the season ends, nurture an infant throughout the winter when there is less that needs attending, and when spring and summer roll around again, the baby is less fragile and more able to crawl and be independent, or cared for by older children, I imagine. I celebrate solar and lunar holidays, because they make sense, they are from the earth and we are earthly beings. There is much healing to be found in the Earth and her cycles.

The quote I would like to discuss today is from a story in the back of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous titled “Acceptance is the Answer” page 417, the fourth addition:

“And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation — some fact of my life — unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.”

What a beautiful concept, acceptance. There are a lot of things that are hard to accept about the world today, but all I really have control over is myself, my opinions, my actions, my thoughts and beliefs, and my attitudes. I can actually change these things within myself, as I learn to accept all that I am both positive and negative. I have to accept my mental illness and my alcoholism, as well as my alcoholic family system and the patterns of abuse in my family history, just as they are, because I am in the middle of it and it is in the middle of me. I find peace and serenity when I do this, when I put the focus back upon myself, and return to prayer and positive action. One foot forward at a time. One day at a time. Acceptance truly is the key, to happiness, and brings me inward towards my journey of self-care and recovery.

So much is going on in the world today, and so many of us are furious. Still, there may be an answer to be had in the acceptance of, and the distancing of, ourselves a few feet from what is happening that feels and is so beyond much of our control. If we look inward and focus on our own healing, we ARE preforming a revolutionary act. As we bond with ourselves and others in recovery, we find inner strength and resilience. Once we are strong, healthy, and balanced, we then can endure the hate and prejudice that is everywhere. We can turn away, turn the other cheek so to speak, and return to our own inner peace and serenity. We can hold fast, not be chased into submission, and plant our feet firmly on the ground right where we are at. We can endure so much if we just love and accept ourselves exactly as we are. And we can eventually love others exactly as they are. But first, we must let love in. Nature and the Earth have so much love to give; in the breeze, in the plants, with the birds, with our beloved dogs and cats and other pets. Thus we will endure, we will be patient, and we will be the change, the peace, that we wish to see in our world, both nationally and locally. Find healing today. Start with acceptance. It can and will transform us. Once we are transformed, we can participate in a greater worldly transformation. Acceptance as a healing force can spread like wildfire as we learn to love ourselves and our neighbors completely.