GROUNDHOGS & FOOTBALL

February 2^nd, for most of us, is a humorous ten minutes of television news watching. A sole Pennsylvanian gopher pops out of a hole and single-handily declares the end of winter.

Talk about a stressful profession!

This day, however, represents something a little different for me. And I’m not just referring to the football party starting in a few hours. Today is also called Imbolc, or [im-olc] in accordance to the Celtic lore.

I’m not Celtic or Irish or even Western European according to my genealogy chart. I simply have a fascination for mythologies, specifically ancient ones where few words were written and now, we have to guess the basis behind the faith because lore was passed down verbally. (The telephone game wasn’t invented yet; nor was Ballpoint pens.)

There was such a driving interest behind this mythology that I wrote two manuscripts, two three-hundred-word+ fantastical novels of a three-part series on the subject. Don’t worry. You didn’t miss a blog and you won’t find any of those words on the left side of the main page of this website because basically, those main characters broke my heart.

You see, in so many ways, I’m fortunate. I’ve been with the love of my life for nearly twenty-five years. When funny or angry memes come across my social news feed about ex’s, I chuckle, but have no real understanding of bad relationships. (Gag, I know.) But those mind-devised main characters are a different story. (Still gag?)

Have you ever tried so hard at something? I mean, really given it everything you got? The Law of Attraction gurus call it persistence. I call it humbug. They say, “Time heals all wounds.” I say, *^$#&^ !!  “You got to put yourself out there,” they say. And I have a middle finger wagging right back at them.

Maybe you too don’t know broken heart from a relationship, but what about putting your name in the hat at work for a promotion, only to have been turned down…a hundred times.

I was listening to Elvis (not the singing dead guy who everyone sees in Minnesota) at the store. Yes, I was eavesdropping. He was passed up for a promotion and looked pretty down about it. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I put my two cents in.

“Good job for for trying to be better,” I said. “If you didn’t get this one, ask management what you can do differently to get that management job.” His head still stayed down and he was trying to walk away from me. (That happens more than you think…people trying to walk away from me.) “Seriously, you’ll get it one of these days.”

But let’s be honest. Will he?

Young Elvis, went into an uncomfortable, gut wrenching zone, and went out on a limb to ask for that job. He put himself out there only to be turned down. In essence, management broke his heart. Is he supposed to let time heal his wound? Should he be persistent only to get turned down again? How can this twenty plus year old feel confident enough again to do anymore than what he’s been doing on a daily basis?

Maybe before we try answering those questions, we should refer back to Imbolc.

This Celtic holiday represents trust and faith. Trust that all that hard work of personal reflection done throughout the dark winter months, are now seeds that need planting. Add a squish of faith to the mixing bowl and bam, those seeds will hopefully grow into a hearty crop.

I’m no farmer, though my neighbors are, but I think the Celtics were trying to relay that each of us are sacred plants that need nourishment. We need food and water and sunlight to grow. We need those hibernating months to recuperate so we can start this process called life all over again. Every year–Every month–Every day–We must work to grow and better ourselves.

I don’t know how to start healing from my broken heart. Elvis needs to work through his sadness as well. And if I were to get a little wild and crazy, I’d say that you too, can find that buried seed and plant it on Imbolc. Then wait and have faith and trust that your seed will grow too, because from darkness, light is born.

Go Team!