Whew. Set. Advance. by Norma Ryuko Kawelokū Wong Roshi
Whew! What a year! If you are human, you are so looking forward to its end and ready for 2021 to begin. But what does that mean?
Many of the conditions and factors that made this year so fraught will not come to an end in two weeks. Vaccinations are just beginning. COVID-19 infections and deaths accelerate. Economic hardships compound. The deep divisions between peoples have been laid bare. We know the truth of continuing hardships and seemingly unsolvable challenges.
And yet, the natural turn at each year’s end gives us a chance to pause, to rest and renew. There is something about the approach of a new year that allows us to let go of the burdens and disappointments of the time before. The human calendar schedules eating favorite foods, remembering family and friends, and indulgent resting. Physical distancing requires that this year’s activities will be quieter than usual… and we need that, so very much. Less trying to make the best of it, and more just letting go. Rest!
Rest, so that the reset may happen. Breath low and slow, shoulders back, feet sturdy and confident on the ground. Aware, again of what nature is asking us to be. And prepare to begin anew.
Much aloha.
Stay tuned for the forecast of the Year of the Ox…