Benefits in the Pandemic?
10_25_2020
Are There Ways to Benefit From Our Current Space?
Like many of you, I, too, am concentrating on being open to ways to benefit from the space that we are currently in. As we switch our calendars to November within the week, I am registering that we have been experiencing the Pandemic now for almost 8 months. Wow! I know we have been in this space since mid-March this year, and just registering how much time has passed seems important to me.
First, it feels almost timeless to me. I am fortunate that I have been able to adjust to the restrictions. As I’ve noted previously, I am grateful that this all started in the early Spring as it meant I could find multiple ways to safely spend time outdoors. And Zoom has made it possible for me to have ongoing connections with others.
When this began to unfold, without a lot of thought, I set my intention to make the best use of the time that I could. In the beginning, I was just trying to absorb the meaning of our circumstances, and to translate all of the information into safe practices that would allow me to continue to function while staying safe.
Gradually, I have built what I can best describe as an “adjusted” daily/weekly routine. It helps that I have learned over time to discern the rhythm of the seasons, what they offer and the pleasures that come with them. With the pleasures also come chores or responsibilities, and I’ve developed a relaxed but attentive sense of how to pace myself in getting things done without feeling overwhelmed.
For example, we are clearly into Fall in the New England area. The leaves are turning, and falling, creating some splendid moments on my morning walks. Some mornings I feel like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, as the golden leaves are strewn on the sidewalks and roads, literally creating a “yellow-brick” road for me to follow.
As a long-time gardener, I need to pay attention to the temperature and weather forecast in order to attend to breaking down my many gardens before our first freeze. I’m not diligent nor do I work hard and recording important dates, but having paid attention all these years, I know that we can anticipate our first freeze in the last week of October through the first week of November.
People mistakenly describe me as super organized. Their gift of that label may have some credibility to it, but I know that in large part, my motivation to attend to tasks on the early side comes out of my desires to make the best use of my time and to avoid stressful situations. And I have no shame in admitting that on some level it is fair to describe me as a hedonist. I want to enjoy my life, so my motivation to get things done in a timely way is a response to avoiding finding myself in situations in which completing a task is going to be more stressful because I waited until the last minute.
Think about the task of filing your income tax return. I have a friend who starts the process on April 14th. I on the other hand have my returns filed by the end of February. I simply don’t want to be worried about getting them filed. Both approaches are going to involve investing time in completing the task; I would argue that filing at the last moment invites more stress than filing early.
Moving to the topic of this Blog, how does my organized, pleasure-preference for living contribute to my orientation of how I am making choices during the Pandemic? I think having lived through other life challenges has enabled me to hold onto some healthy perspectives through this time. I remember my fears and anxieties that accompanied looking for work when relocating without a job, transition spaces between jobs, going through a divorce, losing loved ones. Like many of us, we’ve all had difficult spaces in our lives that at the time we may have felt like we wouldn’t survive the period.
But in retrospect, I am comfortable in saying that all of these times in my life have offered me opportunities to grow, to discover more about who I was and who I wanted to become, and to do the reflective work that would help me become the person I am capable of being.
And I am building on this past experience to form frames and to choose perspectives that give me the support I need to make the best use of this time. I am taking some online courses as well as participating in groups in which we are collectively exploring and supporting one another on how to come through this experience safely and having grown.
I signed up for what turned out to be a rich one-hour webinar featuring Jean Shinoda Bolen. Titled,
The Pandemic Pause – a Gift of Liminal Space and Time, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen and Katherine Collis shared their rich insights on how to think about the space that we are in. “Liminal” is a great word, defined as a space in between what was and what is ahead. Think of it as a time when we are in transition, and that we are on the threshold of some new beginnings.
Like all transitions, we don’t exactly know how long it will last and when we’ll be able to say that we are on the other side of it. The co-hosts spoke about this space as one that offers us many opportunities.
No, I’m not being Pollyanna about this time as I can see the threads of new paths that may becoming part of how I will have evolved during this time.
I feel like I have more choices about how I want to use my time, and while I definitely miss some of the ways I’ve spent time prior to the Pandemic, I am finding that I am not missing some of the ways I used time. I have noticed that I am more present in moments, less distracted by what is calling for my attention. These moments offer such joy and insights that I want more of them.
And there are practical aspects involved in working within this space. I haven’t felt safe going to a hair salon, so I’m letting my hair grow which means I have been going through this phase where my bangs have to grow out so I can tuck my hair behind my ears or pull it back and put it up or clip it. For months I’ve been experimenting with ways to keep the hair out of my eyes. Some of my solutions aren’t the most becoming in appearance, but I’ve grown to be less concerned about having to always look at my most presentable. I am reading more and am excited to build in more time in my day to learn.
I am reminded of one of my favorite poems -“The Wise Heart“ by Rainer Maria Rilke
My eyes already touch the sunny hill,
Going far ahead of the road I have begun.
So we are grasped by what we cannot grasp;
It has its inner light, even from a distance —
And changes us, even if we do not reach it,
Into something else, which hardly sensing it, we already are;
A gesture waves us on, answering our own wave…
But what we feel is the wind in our faces.
