Hang
On
“For
me, this is a kind of contemplative living. To pay attention to what I have to
give, and to receive, without expectation what others have to offer. It is
enough.”
Nadia
Bolz-Weber (“Whose Turn Is It?” Part 1 of 2 series on grief in times of
pandemic; The Corners website)
Rev. Nadia
Bolz-Weber writes about the fact that in “normal” times, when one person is in
grief, others are not. We could take turns being compassionate and responsive
and in giving and receiving. But, with the pandemic and almost two years of
losses, no one is without grief. We must learn to be compassionate with
ourselves as well as with others. I know people who have lost more than one
member of their family, who are so overwhelmed by loss they can’t function as
themselves anymore.
Grief,
even when it’s not sparked by personal loss, is a natural response to the death
of someone or something dear to our hearts. These past two years have seen not only the
massive death toll from covid, but the graphic demonstrations of ourselves as a polarized
and angry society. We, and almost everyone else on earth, have lost jobs and
businesses, friends, and co-workers, and sometimes even the roof over our
heads. We have lost our illusions of “greatness.,” our confidence as world
leaders, and our industrial base. For the first time in memory, we are totally
dependent upon others for producing the goods and services we need. Those
images of ships stacked up in the harbors of this country, that cannot dock and
unload because there is no one to unload them and nowhere to put the
merchandise, are simply overwhelming.
I
believe we underestimate the toll in energy and well-being that these two years
have taken, even if we have not lost a loved one to covid. It seems that everything
is changing at once, which makes it difficult to absorb and adapt to any part of
it. We will get through this—we see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s
hard to tell how far away it is.
What we can do right now,
what people have always done in difficult times, is stick together. Help each
other. If you have something to give, give it. If someone wants to give something to you, receive it. Be gracious and supportive when you can be and accept
the thoughts, prayers and deeds of others in the good faith they are offered. Love
one another and hang on for dear life. These are life’s rapids and the only successful
way to navigate them is together.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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