Reflections During the Corona Pandemic – May 8, 2020
“The most exciting breakthrough of the 21st century will no longer be technology but expanding what it means to be human. We teach from the radiance of our own discovery inside and out. We sense aliveness in the process.” ~John Nesbitt~
Remember the baby robin eggs I spoke about in my last reflection? Well, turns out that they hatched and it was not a robin but I think a house finch mom who fought off a much larger robin in protecting her eggs. The birds have hatched and are currently little fuzzy masses, growing and eating, preparing to leave the nest in the coming weeks. Nature continues its mystery.
I don’t know if it has been an exceptional beautiful Spring or we are just noticing it more because we all have slowed down? Signs all around, lots of birds singing and sounds of nature.
In addition to beautiful flowering trees, rabbits and squirrels, goslings and chipmunks, planting flowers and mulching… getting the outside ready for the summer months, I continue to bring tulips into the house as the signal of Spring’s arrival and love. The red tulips representing true love, white meaning, ‘I’m sorry,’ and a multi-colored bouquet is said to be a compliment of the recipient’s eyes. So they are a perfect pandemic flower…representing love of those that are supporting us on the front lines and keeping us safe, being sorry for all the suffering and grief we collectively are experiencing, and opening our eyes to what is happening and the meaning we will receive from this experience.
And now in week 8 of our ‘Sheltering from Home’ with an announcement from our Governor that will extend our time at home at least until June…probably longer. We are living in a band between existing memory and hope. We must not lose either. We think about what has been, and understand what we miss, but what have we gained? What is essential? What does it mean to be human…to miss things, to feel grief, to hope. What are we learning about our lives and how will we use that when we come out of this place?
It’s time to make a vow, to sit quietly, rest your heart and ask, “What is my best intention, my most noble aspiration in this difficult time?” If you quiet yourself, your heart will answer. The answer could be simple: “I vow to be kind no matter what.” And when you find the answer in yourself, write it down and place it somewhere you’ll remember. Then when you feel lost or confused, take a breath and remember that vow. Because it’s time to become the lamp in the darkness. Where others hoard, you help. Where others deceive, you stand up for truth. Where others are uncaring, you become kind and respectful. This is what’s possible for us as human beings in this moment.
Jack Kornfield, author and Buddhist meditation teacher, says “Either we accept things the way they are and don’t try to change anything, or we realize that it’s our job to change the whole world, which would be a heavy burden. The reality is the middle path. I go back to the serenity prayer. In a similar way, with this pandemic, we have to accept where we are, the uncertainty of it, and then say, ‘All right, I’m going to steady my own heart and see how I can contribute.’ If you’re a scientist, you contribute in your lab. If you’re a poet, like those people singing from the balconies in Italy, send your poems out and buoy up the hearts of others. If you have the capacity, buy groceries for your neighbors. So it’s not about passivity. In Zen, they say there are only two things: You sit, and you sweep the garden. So you quiet the mind, and once you’ve done that, you get up and tend the garden with the gifts you’ve been given.”
I don’t know the answers to many of the questions about when will be ‘back to normal,’ whatever ‘normal’ will mean in the future. But I do know that how I see myself matters. How you see yourself matters, too. What I do know is that all of us are essential. In this post-pandemic world, what will really matter most—what will really be essential—is who we are on the inside. We can focus on being good neighbors at every turn. When we return to our “new normal,” we have the power to decide what that “new normal” can be. We can make it one where we each of us heals with our words and our presence. We can go out into the world with a firm intention to be carriers of love instead of division and hate. We can be carriers of kindness, compassion, and empathy. If we’re able, we can focus on helping those who are struggling to put food on the table, pay their rent, or clothe their children. In one way or another, all of us can focus on some form of giving back, instead of just on making money and acquiring things ourselves. Moving forward, we can focus on sharing instead of accumulating. We can focus on less instead of more, more, more.
“The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in a time of crisis.” ~Thurgood Marshall~
I recently finished reading Michelle Obama’s autobiography, “Becoming,” which reminded me of a time, not so long ago of thoughtful Leadership. As she described her role as first lady, “We understood that we represented the nation and were obliged to step forward and be present when there is a tragedy, or hardship, or confusion. Part of our role, as we understood it, was to model reason, compassion, and consistency. Grief and resilience live together. I learned this not just once as First Lady but many times over. It was possible to live on two planes at once – to have one’s feet planted in reality but pointed in the direction of progress. You may live in the world as it is, but you can still work to create the world as it should be. For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. It is a forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end. It’s all a process, steps along a path. Becoming requires equal parts of patience and rigor. Becoming is never giving up on the idea that there’s more growing to be done.” And a recent New York Times article stated, “For all of his much-debated flaws, Mr. Obama mastered a way of simultaneously validating people’s fears and anger while encouraging optimism and togetherness.” We sure do need that now!
In this current pause we have the opportunity to reflect on all that this tragic pandemic is revealing about ourselves and our society. A pause can lead to a new beginning, to a re-imagination of how we want to live differently — less unhealthily and less unequally — in the future. And as Victor Frankel says, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” We don’t know what the future holds, we do know that if we stay present to what is now, we can respond differently, allow fear and anxiety to co-exist in our world, but not let it consume us.
After all, the only thing that’s certain is the uncertainty of the present moment. To be able to stand patiently in that, we are going to need a whole lot of compassion, patience, resilience, and understanding of ourselves and others. If I truly want to come out of this better than I was at the beginning, then I’m going to have to find some understanding for those I’m watching and judging. I’m going to have to work on my patience so I can stand calmly in line—be it for toilet paper or (let’s hope) for a vaccine. And, if I really want to be better, then I’m going to have to acknowledge that I still have work to do inside my internal home. I must if I want to leave my home better than I found it when I went in. As I stay at home, I have the opportunity to work on my internal home. May I grow more loving, more compassionate, more empathetic. May I strengthen my fortitude and my ability to seek calm and stay calm. May I find the patience to see my way through this. What are, in the words of theologian Henri Nouwen, each advancing moment is “never a movement from nothing to something but always a movement from something to something more.” May we all move into something more when again we open that front door to the world.
So we are learning not to take anything or anybody for granted, those that see us daily, those that we want to see but can’t…the produce guy at the supermarket, the cashier who bags our groceries, the healthcare worker who takes care of our loved one, the nurse who comes home from working the night shift, the hairdresser we long for these days, the people that pick up the trash & recycling, the dog groomer who is going to open soon, the chef at our favorite restaurant and our favorite waitress too, the chiropractor whose hands we may not feel for a long time, our doctor who now has tele-med appointments, our child’s teacher who sends lessons each day to keep our kids learning, the auto mechanic who keeps our cars going without any place to go, the bus driver, the train conductor, the police and firemen who continue to protect us, and all the pets who are keeping us sane. Oh, so much has and will change. Gratitude for all. Jed Kolko, Chief Economist for Indeed, said, “We are living in the middle of a grand forced experiment, but we really don’t know how the experiment is going to play out.”
As we are able now to take time ‘to be’ in the midst of all the doing…perhaps we can finally decide what is most important, what doesn’t really matter so much, and appreciate not only those around us, but ourselves, our health, our greater purpose in this life. More focus on the ‘greater good,’ will bring us to a better resolution, a more compassionate culture and an interconnected global world. Stay safe, continue to discover the joys of your home, get out in the sunshine, and stay healthy for all of us!
If you want to see the world-famous Keukenhof, the most beautiful tulip garden in the world in the Netherlands check out this link…
The Most Beautiful Flower Garden In The World Has No Visitors For The First Time In 71 Years
No comments