A time of Transition:
We began 2020 in a state of ignorance and denial. We assumed that the coronavirus would stay in China and not affect us. We didn’t know the US would soon lead the world in COVID-19 deaths, that even partial closures would lead to economic disaster, or that people of color would be disproportionately affected by both the pandemic and the economy. Nor did we know that George Floyd’s death would set off nationwide outcry for systemic change. The thing about the traumas that initiate major transitions is that they rarely arrive as single events. Real change depends upon a double whammy. The whole of 2020 is “more than the flu.”
Yes, things will eventually get better. This traumatic time will change America, just as 911 did. Perhaps more so. In time, we will bury our dead, develop a vaccine, and get rid of chokeholds. But the new normal will differ from what we had before. What I am saying is that shared grief initiates both social change and personal transitions. We become different people. The soul journeys on.
I think the soul has certain tasks. On this journey, we should become ever more compassionate. Intentionally choose to be aware of truth and facts. And never let an immediate goal or end take precedence over healthy process and proven means. Every time and place has its own epidemics, culture wars, and natural disasters. We too will have trauma, grief, loss, transition, and hopefully, spiritual growth.
