A Gentle Abiding

Today, as I look out my office window here at Ruscombe Mansion, admiring the graceful lines of the tree below, I am surprised as dry leaves begin to flutter and take flight. These are not leaves! Gathered above, in perfect stillness, had been a host of birds sharing the afternoon with me. With unfocused eyes, I hadn’t seen them at all! These tiny birds got me thinking- what else am I missing?

With the pandemic ever looming, and this time of year, this deep January, when Spring is on its way but there’s scant evidence, it seems to me there’s much to learn from our feathered and furred friends about acceptance and endurance. Yes, they have prepared as best they can, and yes, they are opportunists extraordinaire, waiting for the moment when a food source appears, patiently digging, watching, and preparing for that purposeful moment of jumping into action.  But today, I am inspired by a different quality- a gentle abiding, in the midst of this cold and dreary stretch of winter. It feels like we, too, must be extra purposeful and aware to survive, and perhaps even thrive, during these long months ahead.

As new mandates and continued uncertainty abounds, I am recognizing in myself the need to create daily rituals that support my wellbeing. I am reminded of a wonderful message that circulated on the internet during the early pandemic. I don’t know the author, but it was simply titled: “Daily Quarantine Questions.” These questions remind us that even in the face of that which we cannot control, there is much we can do to cultivate meaning, connection, and personal agency. Here they are:

1. What am I GRATEFUL for today?

2. Who am I CHECKING IN ON or CONNECTING WITH today?

3. What expectation of “normal” am I LETTING GO OF today?

4. How am I GETTING OUTSIDE today?

5. How am I MOVING MY BODY today?

6. What BEAUTY am I either cultivating, creating, or inviting in today?

Living with the pandemic is hard. There is isolation, illness, frustration, and great loss. And yet, like these regal birds, we can face this season with gentle abiding and a connection to our own sovereignty. We can take sustenance from our deepest values and trust that when the time is right, activity will return at its natural pace. We are in the middle of learning new ways of being. Let us move forward with self-compassion, acceptance and possibility!