Over the past few weeks we reached out across our region to people from all walks of life. We asked them to share their thoughts as they navigate through the pandemic.
Here is one of the essays featured on our Reflections on a Pandemic episode of The Point.
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“The Storm”
The storm arrived with plenty of warning.
It’s funny how warnings meet ears at such different rates and with such different intensities.
But it came nonetheless.
And it stayed.
At least for now.
And with it, came cautions and caveats and changes.
And with the changing winds, some rebirth they say is beginning to emerge.
This could have been predicted but somehow never planned.
But this rebirth seems to demand loss.
And along the way, sacrifice and destruction become the norm.
Yet despite the enormity of grief, the extent and sustainability of rejuvenation remains unknown.
Along with 47+ other unknowns that are thought about hourly or minutely.
Some claim spiritual growth, some claim environmental revival, some claim Darwinian effects, and others adhere to the randomness of it all.
Backward meaning-making is a skill and common.
It’s often fathomable and largely dependent on what we yearn for.
Moving past the eye of this storm is perhaps the most frightening of all.
Less battening down of hatches, yes more chance of winds running amok.
And more devastation.
No or less protection and shielding from the rain.
Getting caught in a downpour even greater after possibly not learning lessons of preparation.
Though they say “Stormy seas make strong sailors” and the hope is that strength and some good measure will help with navigation but more importantly, assist us while coping with the effects of rough winds and tough seas.
Riding these waves creates inability to control our circumstances and is a reminder of that illusion.
There’s a stability and a comfort in knowing so many others are in the midst of the exact same storm.
United in isolation, together in separateness, they say.
May any lesson worth keeping allow the remnant of such stormy weather to remain in our collective consciousness.
Joined in ways to eventually enjoy the sunshine respectfully, modestly, frugally, and with acceptance, grace, less fear, and more hope.