The world’s not an easy place to live in right now. We’re all definitely walking a rather rocky patch of road. In the dark. With a strong wind blowing. And we’re not quite sure where we are.
All of us.
That’s an important thing to remember.
Everybody has his own idea about what is going on. But we’re in epic times and only time itself will reveal what’s ahead. For some of us, the uncertainty is exhilarating. For some, it‘s scarey. For some, it’s infuriating. For others, it’s just misery and stress.
Meanwhile, life goes on, with all of its demands–and then some. And it’s making those demands on us all. On the woman in the next room, on the man next door, on the kids in the back yard and the ones across the world. We’re all being tried. We all just want the wind to stop and for the road to become smooth again. We want to pick up the damn rocks that are making our way so hard and hurl them into the night.
I read a story on social media today written by an unknown author that described our situation this way:
“If you catch 100 red fire ants as well as 100 large black ants and put them in a jar, at first, nothing will happen. However, if you violently shake the jar and dump them back on the ground, the ants will fight until they eventually kill each other.
“The thing is, the red ants think the black ants are the enemy and vice versa, when in reality, the real enemy is the person who shook the jar. This is exactly what’s happening in society today. Liberal vs. Conservative, Black vs. White, Pro-Mask vs. Anti-Mask.
“The real question we need to be asking is who’s shaking the jar . . . and why?”
As I said, everybody has his own idea about what is going on. But we’re all so shook up that it’s easy to cast blame. Remember, it’s dark out right now and we don’t know where we are. In such a time, it is wiser to bond with each other than to wrestle on these sharp rocks. Patience is our ally here, a willingness to take life one step at a time.
Old sureties may be gone, but we have this Now. And we each have the option to choose from the countless possibilities that it holds. As we choose among them, let’s do our best to remember that it wasn’t the person in our presence who’s been shaking the jar. This person, the one before us, is also walking on the rocks.
“This is suffering,” Tara Brach says. “Everybody suffers. May I be kind.” Tuck that little light in your pocket to help you along the way.
Remember to be kind to yourself as well. Remember to ask yourself who, in this moment, you truly want to be. Let yourself wear a small smile; it will bring you comfort and healing. Then square your shoulders and carry on.
There is, after all, an end to night. Dawn is just a bit away, and then we will see more clearly.
Until then, be patient, and be kind.
Warmly
Susan