For times of COVID-19
For times of COVID-19
When life is put on pause
The grandest pause we’ve ever known
And the fabric, woven by gathering, is cut suddenly
In cafes, universities, even in outside spaces
Things fly quickly online
Repatterning and reimagined for our new world
Whenever you can,
Bring awareness to the root
Take more time than you think you need
Tracing breath here, beingness along your thighs
Pressing, and finding, the sore spots
Mapping your reality
May solitude bring you comfort and understanding
Knowing it is rare you are alone, without somebody
Knowing it’s a blessing, some ways, to be alone but not lonely
Knowing it could have been different, and you thought it would be
May you find righteousness in it all.
May you fall even more deeply into prayer
Beg for mercy
Sing for mercy
Expose your heart and soul to the masses, for mercy
Share your kindnesses and your passions freely
As routines and structures slip,
Can you balance narratives
Of productivity, and shame, of softness and comfort in your own life?
Gain a new bedtime,
A new means for prayer
Look at yourself with new eyes
Everything has changed
Let your heart be bolstered by your relationships
By surprise appearances on Zoom of cherished ones
Breathe, take a pause
Imagine the new world on the other side.
~
In February I attended a birthday party for my sister Tara. We were invited to bring a poem we loved, dress as the essence of the poem and prepare a dish that tasted like the essence of the poem. I brought one of my most favorite blessings from Bless the Space Between Us by the wonderful Irish mystic John O’Donohue. This book is a close companion and contains blessings for very specific occasions and transition times. The blessing I dressed and cooked as, For A New Beginning, has guided me through some of the most transformative periods of my life. My costume, the blessing and the dish (a favorite recipe for Persian strained yogurt dip) all illustrate something hopeful—the dawning of the clear light of bliss.
A few days ago I woke up with the motivation to write a blessing for our time in the form of John O’Donohue’s blessings. Thanks for reading <3