An Accidental Life
I remember back to a conversation I was having with my father after an ex-boyfriend and I had broken up. I felt sad and alone and picked up the telephone hoping for some sagely advice (to this day I always associate the sage plant with my father for his advice and wisdom).
He listened to me and came out with a story which I have never forgotten is is loosely as follows:
"After a storm happens to destroy a bird's nest, do we see the bird sitting around and feeling sorry for herself? No. The bird gathers up new twigs and leaves, decides upon where to build a new nest and gets on with the task at hand. The bird will stop for rest and to replenish supplies but it diligently keeps building until her new dwelling has been completed. It keeps going because life is just a series of accidents, some happy and others not so happy. That is the way of nature and the way of all of us, if we accept it."
At this moment in time where many of us around the world are sheltering indoors to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus, it feels like life has taken a wrong turn somewhere. I struggle to see this situation through the lens of an "accident" but perhaps rather than catastrophising the event and the journey we are now collectively on, perhaps we can rest, gather supplies and keep on living until we have weathered the storm. It won't be easy, but neither is a break up. But if we take comfort and our cue from nature we know that this time will pass and we will thrive again.
What matters is how we spend this time. Do we continuously absorb the news and all the possible negative impacts of the virus on our lives or do we live, perhaps quietly but nonetheless, well. We can read, listen to music, talk to our loved ones, really talk to them. And we can really listen too. We can create poetry, tell stories, we can volunteer and we can love.
I plan to cook lots of bizarre food combinations to see what culinary delights I can make for my husband and I. Maybe we'll find another firm favourite to add to our growing list of treasured recipes. I have been mending and refashioning clothes. I plan to finally alter our curtains which are far too long. I've been trying to practice yoga and take walks and have just started reading a book on the history of the Second World War. We have been gifted time, the most precious commodity we have and what a shame if we can't use it to finally learn those skills or read those books that we've been meaning to, for fear of the darkness.
Let's learn, let's not just survive this, let's thrive during this.
With love and light 😊
He listened to me and came out with a story which I have never forgotten is is loosely as follows:
"After a storm happens to destroy a bird's nest, do we see the bird sitting around and feeling sorry for herself? No. The bird gathers up new twigs and leaves, decides upon where to build a new nest and gets on with the task at hand. The bird will stop for rest and to replenish supplies but it diligently keeps building until her new dwelling has been completed. It keeps going because life is just a series of accidents, some happy and others not so happy. That is the way of nature and the way of all of us, if we accept it."
At this moment in time where many of us around the world are sheltering indoors to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus, it feels like life has taken a wrong turn somewhere. I struggle to see this situation through the lens of an "accident" but perhaps rather than catastrophising the event and the journey we are now collectively on, perhaps we can rest, gather supplies and keep on living until we have weathered the storm. It won't be easy, but neither is a break up. But if we take comfort and our cue from nature we know that this time will pass and we will thrive again.
What matters is how we spend this time. Do we continuously absorb the news and all the possible negative impacts of the virus on our lives or do we live, perhaps quietly but nonetheless, well. We can read, listen to music, talk to our loved ones, really talk to them. And we can really listen too. We can create poetry, tell stories, we can volunteer and we can love.
I plan to cook lots of bizarre food combinations to see what culinary delights I can make for my husband and I. Maybe we'll find another firm favourite to add to our growing list of treasured recipes. I have been mending and refashioning clothes. I plan to finally alter our curtains which are far too long. I've been trying to practice yoga and take walks and have just started reading a book on the history of the Second World War. We have been gifted time, the most precious commodity we have and what a shame if we can't use it to finally learn those skills or read those books that we've been meaning to, for fear of the darkness.
Let's learn, let's not just survive this, let's thrive during this.
With love and light 😊
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