Dear friends:
You are forgiven if the violent acts that seem relentless engender feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, even despair. We are witnessing upheavals and backlashes so profound, because they are triggered by such profound growth and change.
You are forgiven if the reporting of (now over) one million people lost to Covid-19 in our country leaves you numb, unable to comprehend. Our brains are not wired to process vast numbers without great effort.
You are forgiven if you find yourself losing your temper, wishing for escape, tuning out the stories of destruction and loss, sleeping more (or less), eating less (or more), wanting it all to go away. Our bodies live in rhythms and cycles, and so do our emotions.
It’s not “me” forgiving you, of course. It is the very nature of being and loving and existing, which does not hold on to anything: not grudges, not judgments, not verdicts. Forgiveness is simply a condition of existence, of fluidity, of dynamic growth.
Learn, as you are able. Grow, as your roots allow. Water your tissues with tears of sorrow and joy. Feed your muscles and sinews with the best food for you. Nourish your mind and heart with the richness of friends and art and music.
This is a long journey, and it passes in the blink of an eye. We need endurance and compassion to take joy in the fleeting moments of awareness of just how beautiful the terrain is, and just how beautiful we are as we move through it.
Be safe, be well, hang on, and let go.
You are forgiven: Podcast special