What a comforting though! What an equally terrifying proposition? Exactly! The glass is half full and half empty and not real and in flux all at the same time (and space). Say, for example, that there is a global pandemic, could be a virus, or fear, or despair, or loss of faith, or poor grammar. There are countless little wonderful seeds of opportunity among all that scary carnage. It is the job of all of us to not lose sight of this; to seek it out. And when a few nuggets are found to share them far and wide and confidently knowing that there are other little treasures tucked away awaiting our discovery.
Through this terribly unsettling period of stay at home orders and climbing numbers of people battling for painfully insufficient supplies and beds there are increased connections, rekindled friendships, lots and lots of long walks, and newly discovered recipes in the kitchen. For those of us fortunate enough to still have steady and sufficient income and even luckier still to have health throughout our household we have the joyous calling to help lift others burdens. This is nothing new. This will be our same responsibility and privilege tomorrow, next year, and for all the days to come.
Old movies and wonderfully powerful studio albums are waiting for us, to help carry us. We will be on a different path forever more. Maybe we will save lots and lots of future lives by remembering, at least for a good while, how important it is to wash our hands well and often! Maybe the coming flu seasons will see a dramatic drop in hospitalization? Maybe childhood obesity will be replaced with common humanity and civic purpose.
Thinking back in my life, I was so mad and scared and felt so victimized having graduated from college during a recession to find only one single job offer at the end of that long road. I interviewed with so many companies only to find that there were no jobs to be had. That one single offer, that was not my first or even tenth choice, lead to meeting my wife and finding my life path. My daughter, my love of travel, my passion for food and art; It was all waiting for me on the other side of losing all those opportunities of what I thought I really wanted, really “deserved”.
Will we, do we, value each other more today than last month? Will we rethink society? Who is essential, basketball players or grocery store workers? What new products and ideas will emerge as the Phoenix? Everything is so impossibly interwoven. We know this though science, though spirituality, through philosophy. We cannot have Spring rebirth without Autumnal decay. Nearly everything is always more abundant than we need, we just have to fear less, share more, challenging ourselves, and be honest.
Breath deeply, exhaling slowly. Commit to doing something selfless today; something “for others”. Of course, there is no separateness, that is just an illusion. Be the best person for others today and always and in doing so we are our best, happiest, truest selves.
