A Unique Time:
It’s true. This is a unique time. Most of us have not lived on the planet long enough to have experienced anything like this pandemic. Yet, it has been our reality long enough for us to learn just how flexible we are–or, are not. There was no training for this, or warning that it was coming. Life as we knew it just stopped, and we were issued a whole new set of rules. There was, still is, a learning curve. Our flexibility has been tested to the max. More so for some than for others, and in ways we could never have imagined.
Most of our medical appointments have been via ‘zoom’. That’s a tricky one for many of our elderly population. Companies have gone out of business, families have lost paychecks and cannot pay their housing expenses. Some of us have lost loved ones and have not been able to comfort those who are grieving or come together to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost. Children cannot attend school, which presents a whole new set of family dynamics in the home. I don’t have a crystal ball that can say when the current pressures of life will end, but I believe with all my heart they will. It is hope that keeps us putting one foot in front of the other, when nothing else can. And, it is gratitude each day for even the smallest ‘win’ that keeps us hoping and moving forward.
It is amazing how hope and gratitude can bring us to a state of grace. Grace is God’s influence in our lives that strengthens and regenerates us. We don’t even have to understand how it happens. We simply need to be open to and accepting of it. And, it doesn’t matter what your belief system is, this divine assistance called grace is available to each one of us. Oh, and here’s a fun fact; we can pass it on! We don’t always know why another person is out of sorts or what they are dealing with, but we can extend grace to them. In other words, cut them some slack. We may need a bit of grace ourselves from time to time. This is a difficult time, and many opportunities to be gracious are presenting themselves. I believe when we emerge from this place in time, and we will, there will be more hope, gratitude, and graciousness.
Blessings,
Marlene