Nov. 1 honors the solemnity of all the saints in the Roman Catholic Church. Although Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, said saints are the living followers of the Savior, the canonized individuals who once lived among us and died, leaving behind footprints of virtuous acts, serve as inspiration to members of the Church to do good. Nov. 2 is the day for the living who are still marooned on this earth to remember their departed loved ones. By the way, when consoling someone on Facebook, choose kindness. Control your judgmental fingers.
Do celebrate these two days to preserve your memory and enrich your soul.
There is another holiday in November that is dedicated to being left behind. I tripped upon this on my way out on Nov. 2. Nov. 6 highlights Marooned without a Compass Day (MWACD). It is scarier than Halloween because moving around our individual lives without a compass can lead to misdirection. This holiday strikes me as obscure. Have you heard of this before? Surely not. You do not expect super malls to advertise: Come, enjoy our festivities and freebies — if you can find us.
My friend Rosse G asked, “Who created this special day?” No one can lay claim to its inception. All is not lost in the darkness. There is an online consensus that puts the spotlight on a true event. The holiday was inspired by a story of shipwrecked sailors who forgot to grab a compass as their boat was sinking. They relied upon the stars to navigate their way back home. It emphasizes tenacity, resourcefulness, and a strong will to go on living.
Unlike most holidays that gorge on revelry, family and gift-giving, MWACD is a solitary, metaphysical journey into self when we feel lost or exiled or adrift in a sea of people. It forces us to look in the mirror to ask: Who am I really? Why am I in this limbo? What do I do next? Where am I heading? How do I get there?
We have a few more days to study these questions to come up with satisfactory replies. Maybe then we can celebrate Nov. 6 as a whole and a found person. We all have our compasses. I hope you have the One who created the stars and the oceans, and who separated the light from the darkness.