This is a crazy, scary time in our history. Almost none of us experienced the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu pandemic that killed over 600,000 people in the U.S. Covid-19 has been compared to that pandemic, and it’s causing us to feel anxiety, stress, and fear in ways we
never experienced it before. Along with our friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances, we are at risk – at risk for losing so much. And some have already lost…their income, their security and sense of safety, their health. And, way too many have lost their lives. With most jurisdictions issuing stay-at-home orders, we’ve lost the ability to commune together, to receive and give support in our houses of worship, the local hang-outs, or the corner coffee shops.
Humans react to this primal fear in different ways. I won’t go into why people do what they do in times like this because you can visit a lot of psychology or human behavior websites,
and you can read the neuro- and social- psychological mechanisms at play in these behaviors. One of them that has gotten a lot of attention is the panic-buying (and hoarding) of necessities like food, cleaning products, and toilet paper.
I have been asking myself what do I want to gather during this pandemic quarantine? Here’s my list…
May I Gather LoveMay I gather the kindness of others
and plant those seeds in my own wake.
May I gather deeper gratitude for all I have
and share my portion with those in need.
May I gather comfort from my faith in the divine
and, in turn, provide it to those around me.
May I gather sustenance from my tribe
and share that strength with those who feel weak.
May I gather better understanding of human frailty
and use it to love others rather than judge.
May I gather peace and love
and be a source of peace and love for you.
~annie ricci~
However you celebrate this weekend, may you and yours be safe and healthy.
