Life doesn’t always give us a smooth path to travel. Sometimes there are bumps in the path and unexpected detours.
Bumps in the path
There are all kinds of bumps in the path that we encounter in our lives—job loss, relationship problems, illness, divorce, injuries, floods, tornadoes, fires, and the death of a loved one—to name a few.
COVID-19 is a huge bump in the whole world’s path.
It has caused job loss, loss of loved ones, prolonged illness, disruption of school, small business closures, separation from friends and loved ones, and more. But it has also brought other changes which can be seen as positive. We saw that the world’s air quality could be improved drastically in a matter of weeks. I think that people are waking up to the problems of racism and white supremacy in ways they never did before. And I am spending more time in nature than I did since I was a child.
If you’re like me, at first you were listening to every little bit of news you could find about the virus and the spread of the virus. And you experienced heightened anxiety and fear. But now, after a few months of social distancing, perhaps the edge has worn off of your fear a bit. And maybe you are wondering whether all of the precautions you are taking are worth it.
Learning more about the relative risks of different behaviors has helped me to feel comfortable going to the grocery store once a week (masked) to buy groceries. But I don’t go out shopping for clothes or other non-essential items. We’ve begun small gatherings with our daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren, but only when everyone has been working at home and limiting outside exposures.
I feel very safe going out to nature reserves and parks but always choose to travel the trails less traveled by others.
Maybe you’d like to travel or get together with friends or eat out. I know I would like to do all of these things. I would especially love to travel to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a few days by the lake. But I am choosing not to. For my safety and the safety of others, it really is best.
Those of us who hoped that the effects of COVID-19 would be over in a month or two need to reset their expectations. We are in this thing for the long haul. From what we know now, I think we are looking at a year or two of immediate impact and possible long-term effects we haven’t yet imagined.
So the question is, how do we weather these bumps in the path when they go on much longer than we would like them to?
By taking small steps every day.
For me, I’m looking at this time as an opportunity to practice presence and radical acceptance and to look for ways that I can help others, even if it’s a simple small kindness. I’m also considering whether this is an opportunity for all of us to re-calibrate our lives, thinking about that big question…
What really matters?
Maybe our current circumstances are offering us an opportunity to hit a pause button on life as usual. Perhaps we can re-frame our thoughts about social justice, the environment, and the economy. There are many things I am no longer doing and things which I am no longer buying. Yet I feel in many ways that the quality of my life has improved over the past few months.
How about you? What have your experiences brought you? How have you learned and grown during this time?
What kind of new stories around cooperation, community, sustainability, and justice can we imagine?
May you walk in beauty.
More photos from Wolsfeld Woods last week
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