My Dear Community,
It’s strange times we are living in. The coronavirus has created a global pandemic and what I never imagined would happen is now happening. The stock market is at historical lows; people are dying; people are in quarantine; schools are shut down; countries quarantined; corporations in mass have sent people home to work remotely; we have new acronyms – WFH (work from home) and buzzwords – “social distancing”; people are strongly encouraged not to gather; people aren’t going out at all except to get groceries or their dry cleaning or to get essentials; supermarkets are bare; people are panicked; travel bans are in place; and counties have been quarantined – and that’s just what comes to mind now.
I too have panicked and cried in the shower praying for calm, peace and centered thinking. People are flipped out because this is indeed unprecedented. No one I know has lived through such a global crisis and there is no road map or rule book. Global leaders are scrambling to determine what to do and where to get guidance for something none of us have ever lived through.
I don’t pretend to know what to do or even what to say. I’m at a loss of words and my own expression seems to vanquish in a moment. I have witnessed work grind to an eerie halt almost. The quiet is eerie. People are afraid of losing their income, their jobs, their freedom to be out in the world, ability to pay their bills and to simply live and I too am one of them. I know in my bones that there is an opportunity here and my silence is brief.
What is required is talking, sharing, expressing and being in community, albeit predominantly virtually. I have caught myself on the brink of tears over the last few days and when I read that the government officials halted a stimulus aid package to add in anti-abortion legislation, I was floored. No matter what side of the aisle you are on, this is not a time for politics. This is time for our humanity.
Where is our dignity?
This is our time as humans to rise ready to share in our humanity because what we need now is love and empathy – not cruelty, judgment and pandering. What we need now is leadership. I’m not talking about the kind we hope, expect and pray for from our governments, I mean SELF leadership.
We are faced with a unique choice as humans to provide decency to each other. To provide kindness and generosity to each other and to care beyond our limited knowing.
I can’t pretend to know the outcome of all of this. Scientists say that 70% of the global population will get the coronavirus – that means you, me, our neighbors, family, friends and co-workers. We need each other – and what we really need is our is our awakeness, our openness. This virus will awaken the best and worse in us and we will have a choice every day to rise to be the best we can be in that moment and it may not look pretty.
My intention and my commitment is you get the best of me, and I will know that you are giving me the best of you too because we are both human beings having a human experience and no two are alike. The light I see in me I see in you. I pray for you as I pray for me with love. For now with a virus that has consumed the world, let it not consume our humanity.
I’m grateful to have work that I love to do, along with so many people willing to support it and that I can be of service especially during this time. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you need help. Remember, we are stronger together than alone and you are certainly not alone.
So my question to you is how can I be of help?
Esther
