Giving ourselves grace summons to my mind all sorts of imagery of a calm and unruffled demeanor (much like a swan on a calm body of water) that responds rather than reacts. This is a version of grace we may need to show ourselves more… Being kind, courteous, thoughtful, generous, and compassionate to ourselves, as well as to others.

Grace can mean embracing difficult emotions - even conflicting ones, and turning towards them rather than away. Think about a loved one of yours right now. How would you treat that loved one if they were feeling how you’re feeling? If you have childen in your life, what would you do to support them in metabolizing those emotions? Grace given to us by another person is a marvelous feeling, so turn towards those emotions and treat yourself the same way.

The ancestors who have ancestralized are well and wise and no longer operate from their embodied attachment to this world. However, I have personally found that because they did live embodied lives, they have a particular insight into our own daily challenges that can give nuanced feedback and approaches that we may not have discovered on our own. Some of our ancestors may have taken treacherous journeys during their lives to arrive where they did, all for the sake of carving out a better life for themselves, their families and for the generations to come, which includes us. Through their blessings and even through their burdens, we can learn from them and how they responded to their experiences in their lives and then we can apply that Elder wisdom to our paths.