In the midst of our Covid-19 pandemic, there are a lot of conversations that have been taking place about it and about what it means for every person on the planet now etc. My partner, Rod, mentioned today that, although he doesn’t want to sound like he is disregarding the suffering that is being experienced, he is not panicked in any way and knows that things are going to be okay. I have to say that I feel the same way.
People often take on the attitude that if you are not reactionary then you are heartless. That cannot be further from the truth. You can indeed have compassion for people in crisis without actually going into internal crisis yourself. That is what detachment is all about. It is not about being heartless, it is about being your own energy field and allowing others to be theirs. That does not mean that you cannot understand their pain, because you can. You just don’t get swept away in it.
And yes, sometimes in order to cope with a world-wide event, humor is essential. That is why there are so many hilarious memes floating around the internet regarding Covid-19. It is not that anyone is heartless. It is that they are lightening up the situation so that they, and others, can cope. There is nothing wrong with that.
I have found, though, that there is something about this that is misunderstood by many. This self-isolation thing that so many find to be such an inconvenience…this is something that everyone needs to be doing now and then anyway, regardless of whether or not there is a pandemic involved. We have a right to isolate and regenerate and recharge our batteries. Not only do we have a right, we actually have a need. I think that on the other end of this, people are going to be discovering what their parents and grandparents have always known…that there is nothing more precious than your own company, nothing more precious than family, and nothing more distracting from those things than technology. If, through this, the internet goes down, we may be forced big time to adapt. Trust me, people will immediately lose their minds. Then they will find things to fill their time. They will become more productive around their homes. And about ten months later there will likely be a baby boom…and who knows? Perhaps those babies will have some internal immunity to Covid-19. I kind of doubt that part, but thought it would be good to just toss that into the mix as a hopeful possibility.
People get freaked out by isolation. It is not a bad thing. What it does sometimes do is bring up all the “stuff” that has been hidden beneath the surface. Those little resentments and annoyances that you have with your husband/wife/partner/child…those come up pretty quickly. Will you be mature enough to work them through? Will you be willing to let go of things about others that you have no control over anyway? Will you look at your own human imperfection and have compassion?
Remember that it is ultimately important at this time to be kind, courteous, and responsible. After all, responsibility is simply the ability to respond. If someone needs help, assist them. If you need help, reach out. If you are being a drama queen about the inconvenience of it all, then do that on your own time and don’t make the rest of us suffer through your madness.
The world has become much quieter since people have been self-isolating. On the one hand, it is like living in a ghost town. On the other hand, it is so delightful that the birds don’t have to compete for air time with the overhead planes and the traffic on the ground. When I step out into my back yard I am feeling even more relaxed than normally I feel. This is because I am very sensitive to noise. So the quiet, which matches much more what I had growing up on a farm, is a blessing for which I am so grateful.
What, in all of this, can you find to be grateful for? What are some of the blessings you are experiencing? How are you finding ways of adapting to this new situation? How are you creating your own blissful state?
These are important things to consider.