One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.
Lewis Caroll
A few weeks ago, things changed so fast that it was like a whirlwind passing through. Everything was paused, leaving lives turned upside down and normalcy evaporating within hours. Like falling through the looking glass, we were tossed into some strange new world with remnants of our past structure. Lines were drawn, and people created bridges or put up walls to try to maintain a sense of community while segregating into safe cocoons. Emotions bled, bright red to dark drops reflecting the myriad of the human experience from the best to worst. Silent playgrounds, buildings, and streets were a stark reminder of life, interrupted. An uncertain present projecting a future chasm of unknowns was before us. Some filled that chasm with light and love, others hope, to counteract the bleakness. But to some the yawning darkness was too much, and echoes of past yearnings began to rise, sometimes in violent and angry tones.
Like the seed that sprouts in the desert, life goes on. Tentative steps are now becoming full blown strides to regain what was lost, to somehow go back in time? To recapture normal, as it once was? To pretend, perhaps, that things will be the same. But can they ever? Should they? Changes in life can be viewed as losses or opportunities. As the world tries to right itself, the experiences of the past few weeks will be viewed from many perspectives, each as unique as we all are. And even though things seem to be improving, like the eye of a storm, we may be in for worse. Our path is still unclear. But now that we are able to catch a breath as we’ve learned to navigate today, it’s a chance for each of us to create the meaning from this time and use it to help chart our path forward.
3 am thoughts and musings 