3/22/2020 Guides to this new territory
You've probably read a lot of messages this past week that start out "in these uncertain times." We find ourselves indeed in new territory for most of us.
Kids who love and thrive within the structure of school are now home. Parents are trying to help them, keep them learning, and deal with their own work and financial situations. Service industry workers are most likely out of work or have had hours significantly reduced. Artists, musicians, etc. are trying to find virtual audiences. All of us are adjusting to more time at home, loss of our usual routines, and daily reports of new covid-19 cases in our world. We face ongoing decisions about whether to go to the grocery store, post office, or bank, each decision feeling far more heavy than usual.
Among us are those for whom this kind of global challenge is not entirely new. We have friends and family members who lived through the great depression and a world war. We might know people who have been on the front lines of civil rights battles and large-scale actions for peace. We might know people who lived through the HIV-AIDS epidemic losses of the 1980's.
Our federal government is not entirely dysfunctional, but it is clear they cannot provide the consistent leadership and deep wisdom we need. Perhaps this is the time to look instead to our community elders, our spiritual and societal grandmothers and grandfathers.
These folks know the meaning of sacrifice for the larger good, and they know the weight of grief and fear that can accompany such times. They also know how adaptable we are, our abilities to find joy and peace, the strengths of our human family.
Their voices can remind us that avoiding group gatherings, staying six feet away from others, having events and travel cancelled, and other life disruptions are more than rules. Honoring them represents a gift we can give our communities.
More than ever, we are confronted by the reality that we are all connected. The air you breathe is the air I breathe. None of the divisions that we tend to create - political or social - mean anything to a virus.
Perhaps it's time to let go of what those divisions mean to us, and simply see ourselves as equally vulnerable, equally powerful humans.
Give what you can, take care of your health, and be generous with your kindness.
Sending love and gratitude for your virtual company on this journey -
Liz