What is life asking of me now? I ask in the wake of Uvalde.
Oh my God! The police waited for backup outside while the shooter remained inside for an hour killing children! Republican officials call for MORE GUNS! Money pours into the NRA after murders of children, and the show goes on this weekend at its convention in Texas. The Russian army may be making a comeback in Eastern Ukraine. The earth continues to die, black and brown people continue to be harrassed and killed. The NYC subways are now scenes of carnage. It's overwhelming to be a witness to life.I do my best to stay sane and carry on with my good work, as I know you do. We are the ones who know that when institutions fall, people rise. It's on us.
But how?
What helps me most is to acknowledge the horror in which we are living, remember the quiet voice of Thich Nhat Hanh -- no mud, no lotus, he constantly reminded -- and to come back to the story questions:
What is trying to emerge here? A new reality.
What is being asked of me? Choose love, do my work, continue to pay attention.
What do I need to do it? Become centered in slow deep breathing, ask for courage, go back to story, carry on.
Standing Firm with a Soft Heart through Healing Story tomorrow, May 29, 5-6:30 pm EDT online, no charge. A quiet moment in a noisy world to bear witness to yourself and others. For the link: julietbrucephd@gmail.com. To keep the group small and safe, please tell me in a sentence or two why you want to come.
“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world."
Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces
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