The Art of Impermanence: A New Year’s Meditation on Loss, the Force, and Authentic Transformation
Welcome, dear friends, to this sacred space where we gather not just to begin a new year, but to honor the continuous flow of life, in all its beauty and sorrow. This week, I experienced the profound loss of my mother. In the midst of grief, I find myself drawn to the wisdom of the Jedi, and the creative power of the Force.
The world tells us to reinvent ourselves, to become a “new you” with each new year. But this week, as I stood by my mother’s side after her final moments, I realized that true transformation isn’t about erasing who we are. It’s not about denying the pain or pretending that grief can be neatly packaged into a resolution. It’s about embracing the full spectrum of human experience, the light and the shadow, the joy and the sorrow. To change our relationship to it all so that it serves us, not defeats us.
Just as the hero’s journey requires a descent into darkness before the rebirth, so too does life demand that we confront loss, that we grapple with impermanence. My mother’s passing is a stark reminder of this truth, a call to step into the unknown, to face the challenges that shape us, and to emerge transformed.
The Jedi teach us to be like the Force – fluid, adaptable, ever-flowing. They understand that impermanence is not something to fear, but a canvas upon which we create our lives. Each moment, each experience, each loss and each joy, adds a brushstroke to the masterpiece of our existence.
By releasing our attachment to fixed outcomes and identities, we open ourselves to the freedom of the present moment, the boundless potential of the here and now.
My mother may no longer be physically present, but her spirit, her love, her essence, continues to flow within the Force. Just as energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed, so too does life continue in ways we may not fully comprehend.
Her creative spirit, her passion for life, her unwavering love – these are all part of the tapestry of the Force, woven into the fabric of my being, and the being of all those who knew and loved her.
This New Year, let us not seek to erase the past, but to honor it as a source of wisdom and inspiration. Let us carry the love of those we’ve lost, the lessons we’ve learned, and the experiences that have shaped us, into the canvas of the present moment.
Let us embrace the impermanence of life, not with fear, but with a sense of wonder and creative possibility. Let us express ourselves authentically, with courage and compassion, knowing that each moment is an opportunity to create something beautiful, something meaningful.
Here at the Orange Dragonfly Center, we celebrate the power of creativity to heal, to transform, and to connect us to our deepest selves. This New Year, let us not strive for a “new you,” but for a more authentic expression of your unique essence.
Let us honor the memory of those we’ve lost by living fully, by loving deeply, and by creating fearlessly.
May you feel the presence of the Force for the Force is always with you. And may the spirit of impermanence guide you to a place of profound creativity, authentic expression, and boundless love.
