“Our origins are of the earth,” Rachel Carson wrote in contemplating science and our spiritual bond with nature.“And so there is in us a deeply seated response to the natural universe, which is part of our humanity.”
We are all pieces, trying to find the best fit for all our edges; grappling with self, with life and with purpose.
Sometimes inside of my head feels like what it must have been at the beginning of evolution – barren - with a lurking promise of things to come. Sometimes in the middle of a call or an inbox frenzy, there are moments of quiet and where I stare at my work laptop absentmindedly – the quiet of within washing over – noticing the way – the glory of sky is colour coded robin's egg and the sunny wind flirting with trees. Amidst the current chaos and challenge the humanity is facing, if only you stop and look around - the nature goes on. All accepting - all observing and yet giving. Always giving. And there it is again, Gratitude! There is a lot to be grateful.
Lewis Thomas wrote: " Our great hope is in being such a young species, thinking in language only a short while, still learning, still growing up.We are not like the social insects. They have only the one way of doing things and they will do it forever, coded for that way. We are coded differently, not just for binary choices, go or no-go. We can go four ways at once, depending on how the air feels: go, no-go, but also maybe, plus what the hell let’s give it a try. We are in for one surprise after another if we keep at it and keep alive. We can build structures for human society never seen before, thoughts never thought before, music never heard before. Provided we do not kill ourselves off, and provided we can connect ourselves by the affection and respect for which I believe our genes are also coded, there is no end to what we might do on or off this planet."
And I believe, for better or for worse - as is the case with all major events, incidents, natural disasters - humanity comes away a little more resilient, a bit more better off!
At least that is the Hope. Hope that thing with feathers as Emily Dickinson describes it. It is absolutely essential that we be convinced of our own goodness. Our ability to empathise and rise above. What's needed right now more than the herd immunity is the herd compassion.
No more the blaming, no more the finger pointing, no more the "as-long-as-am-safe" and no longer drowning. in the past, or fearful of the future. How could we be? The future is Us.