The Day of Our Remembrance (The DOOR)

The Day of Our Remembrance (or Passing through the DOOR) is celebrated on April 1st of each calendar year. One's "Passing through the DOOR" is a celebration of one's moving into the future, after taking a period of time to reflect on one's past and the many memories of successes, failures, right actions, and wrong-doings, before  making amends in the present and moving into the future renewed and revitalized. In observing this holiday, one's goal is to re-collect  (or re-member) one's self as a means of moving forward free of the confusion, distraction, and frustration that results from the many demands of life and their pull on us. There are three parts to this process:

Unlocking the Door - This is where we take some time (before April 1st) to reflect on what we value most - our families and our friends, along with our most cherished values, beliefs, needs, and desires. We reflect on what we've done well and we reflect on areas that need improvement. Then, we reflect on how well we've served others and persons we may have hurt with our words or actions.

Opening the Door - This is a period of time (before April 1st) where we open our hearts to give of ourselves in the way of gratitude, apologies and atonement (where we have hurt others), and service to friends, family, community, and the less fortunate. We also open our minds to consider the possibilities. Are there new ways we can tackle the challenges we face? This is a period of re-commitment.

Passing through the DOOR - We have reflected on the past and sought to regain better focus on the present. This is the day we celebrate being remembered. This is a day to rejoice. We tell others about our journey and what we learned. We learn from the experience of others in their journeys. And, we celebrate our having the opportunity to step into the future with a sense of rejuvenation, hope, and purpose.

One might ask about the period of time for "unlocking" and "opening" the door. This is a spiritual process. So, each individual would take the amount of time he or she needs. This may take months, weeks, or as little as several days. However, the official period for the Days of Our Remembrance holiday occur from the Spring Equinox (March 20th or 21st) to April 1st. This is, however, a universal celebration. It embraces all faith traditions and has been designed toward the betterment of all of humanity.