VORYUUL - Night 7

Today was the Parade of Spirits in Philadelphia, which affords a rare opportunity to share elements of Urglaawe and Deitsch culture with the wider community. The Parade of Spirits always lifts my mood up (even if I am already feeling great), and this year was no exception. Between last night's Lutzelfraaslaaf and today's Parade, I feel like the rough ride of the first nights of Voryuul are memories, and I am reintegrating to be ready for Yuul.

Lutzelfraa and Gedreier Eckhart

Tonight I am considering what happens when one accepts circumstances that are not ideal. How do we find the balance and contentment between what we want and what is available? Moving forward from loss or sorrow is not easy, but, once we accept reality and place finally put the useless hope (Night 3) and the desperation (Night 5) behind us, it becomes much easier to focus on the things that we can grow with.

I am fortunate to have multiple communities in which I can take an active part. I have my family, Distelfink Sippschaft, the wider Pagan community, great coworkers who double as friends, and the Deitsch community. These are all blessings that cannot be overestimated.

Not everyone is as fortunate, and this is one of the reasons that I am sharing some of these Voryuul experiences. Social media, for as fraught as it is with drama, echo chambers, bigotry, and divisiveness can be a great tool for finding and building communities. The Urglaawe (and most Heathen communities, really) community would not be as widespread were it not for social media. In the absence of a local community, Facebook can be very helpful toward reintegration.

Part of this integration began this evening with the first of the socks from the Yuletide Sock Drive being dropped off at a couple of locations within Philadelphia. The recipients appreciative of the socks, with one man asking me to pass along to the donor his thanks.

On the way home, it hit me even harder just how much of a difference we can make in our own little corners of the world. Every day we have a chance to make a difference in the lives of others, which, in turn, affects us ourselves.

Thank you all for being a part of my life. :)