Hope for Today

 

Equanimity

“…so many times, we think it means indifference, but it really doesn’t. It’s such a huge capacity of our hearts to see what we are going through, to see what others are going through, and to just have this perspective of, there is change in life. And there is light in the darkness, and darkness in the light…”

Sharon Salzberg (from interview with Krista Tippett; On Being; “Shelter for the Heart and Mind”)

          The definition of equanimity according to google is “mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.” I don’t know about you, but that does not describe me over the past nine months. It also does not describe our president—ever. But that is neither here nor there. Most of us do at least have the capacity to feel our own anxiety and that of others, and also, to feel compassion for what each of us is going through. This pandemic has reached into most of us and shaken us like a dog shakes a toy. Just when we thought we were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel we took a swift turn and are right back where we started, only worse. We are sad and tired and aggravated with masks and with not being able to touch anyone. Understandably, there is very little equanimity these days.

          In her interview with Krista Tippett, Sharon Salzberg said, “…we’re not avoiding pain, because some things just hurt.” What we hopefully will learn by the time this thing is in the history books as the great pandemic of 2020, is how to hold this monstrous pain in our hearts and still be able to overcome it with love. We will be able to look back and see that, even in the face of this terrible year, we were able to hang on to civility and hope simply because we had to. There is no way to get through this other than to get through it, and to do that with as much grace and equanimity as possible.

          Even in the middle of this “terrible, awful, no-good, very bad” year, can we draw some comfort from one another? Can we strain our eyes to see the light in all this darkness? Yes, we can! And we will. Because we must. As the Bible-folk liked to say, “gird your loins, brothers and sisters,” because this ride is going to get rough in the home stretch. But, surely, we ARE in the home stretch. From my lips to God’s ears. Amen

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane