It is perhaps a sign of our times (or of our natures) that the word concord does not get used very much these days, and even accord is a word we hear rarely; yet we are all too familiar with the word discord. Concord is agreement, harmony, unanimity, and discord: well, we all know about that.
The ancient Romans had a day to deal with these things, and it is today, the 22nd of February. It is the Feast of Concordia, a feast of goodwill and harmony, and the concept was simple: family and friends gather for a meal and at that meal, all disputes are settled. It is a day to make amends for wrongs done, a day to reconcile differences. To put discord to rest and to nurture concord. To do this over bread and wine is a simple, humble act.
If there is discord in your life, perhaps this is the ritual needed to turn that into concord, to activate peace and harmony. To be sure, the concord involves a willingness from both parties, and someone, of course, must have the courage to take the first step. But being willing to let go of bitterness and to activate concord is a dramatic change, and even if you find the other party unwilling, you have given yourself a great gift in releasing the power the discord has over you. That is the gift of this day, the gift of Concordia. And so we wish you harmony and goodwill.
Blaming, shaming… and gossiping about it, creates poison within us. When we let it go and release the poison, relief is immediate. The differences might not always be resolved, but we can agree to move on.
Here here.
I love new words to use and to live by
a much-needed day