I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. Not just for what you do here at the hospital in these truly trying times, but just for who you are.
What has been on my mind lately is acceptance. When all of this started, I like many people, thought COVID 19 would be a temporary inconvenience. It is settling into my awareness that there is a time for everything, and the length of time for those things is not always in my control. There is a scripture about this sort of idea that has more meaning for me now than ever.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Never has this scripture meant more to me, especially the part about refraining from embracing. I remember when I first arrived here, to my great surprise our hospital CEO hugged me. He said, “This is a hugging hospital.” I quickly found this to be true. We love our hugs here! So, this morning, consider yourselves hugged in a metaphysical way, until we can hug physically again. There is a time for everything, truly. This is not our time to hug, unfortunately. We must refrain from embracing as the scripture says.
Currently, I am working to accept the time of COVID 19 is not a short time. That this particular time is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It is difficult to accept, and it feels like a sort of surrender.
Surrender is a term we often do not look upon favorably. Some people view it as giving up. But I view it through a different lens. I see surrender as a spiritual practice. I see surrender as nonresistance. In spiritual circles, it is often stated what we resist, persists. Acceptance and surrender are powerful tools for moving through life’s difficulties, not a weakness of some sort. Time seems to move faster when we are in a state of acceptance, what vexes us is not a persistent gnawing presence. There is room in my awareness for ideas that are uplifting and positive.
So, I accept our current reality for what it is, and adjust to what is. One big area to help me adjust is self-care. Because I cannot serve you, or my church, or my family, unless I care for myself. Self-care is a Divine idea, uplifting, and positive. In my state of acceptance of what is there is mental space to focus on self-care.
What does self-care look like in a time where I cannot do the usual stuff, like get away to the beach or have big extended family gatherings? I must accept that to be healthy and safe.
I am still figuring that out. One step in that direction is I have taken is connecting online in Zoom with friends regularly. I am walking more than ever before. Exploring different spiritual practices just to shake up the monotony of working and living at home.
I have learned about a practice from Buddhism called mindfulness, to calm me down in stressful situations. One method I have learned can be used anytime, anywhere. It is called the Three By Three Method. It is so easy! Simply pick three objects. Then mentally identify them three times, taking three deep breaths between.
Try it right now, you will see it helps. Let’s pick a chair then, breathe, breathe, breathe. Next, a table and three breaths, slow ones. Then perhaps a clock, whatever is in the room. Not hard at all, right? We are so busy in our lives right now, but this practice we can do on the fly, just about anywhere.
There is a time for everything. COVID 19 is a sprint, not a marathon. By accepting our circumstances, we are not giving up, we are simply not resisting. Not resisting is a high, holy spiritual practice! That wonderful nonresistant mental state clears up a lot of mental space for grace, peace, and living life as fully and freely as we can in rough circumstances.
We of course grieve our losses of hugs and gatherings. That is quite reasonable under the circumstances. Let us engage in the spiritual practice and holy work of acceptance. Let us take care of ourselves as best we can, until there is a time for hugs again. Until that time, know you bless the world with your work, and you are greatly appreciated.
I thank you for reading and be blessed this day.
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