NaBloPoMo 2020 – Today’s Lesson

The last NaBlo of 2020, hallelujah!  I do this for myself, but the views, likes, and comments are rewarding—so thank you all!

Every cloud has a silver lining; every light casts a shadow.

What paradoxes did you experience in 2020?  Here are mine:

• Unearned vacation
• Survivor’s guilt
• Loss of control/autonomy of schedule
• Loss of social activities/tightening of social bonds
• Attention toward global humanitarian issues/Focus on intimate relationships
• Disruption of usual routines/Return to fundamental patterns
• Things are so bad/So much potential for good

Now some polarities I managed… What were yours?

• Fear/Acceptance?  Curiosity?  Courage?
• Self-care/Care for others
• Doom scroll/Tune it all out
• There’s nothing I can do, not my problem/I must do everything I can to help, it’s all up to me
• I belong to this tribe/I reject this tribe
• Think it through/Take action
• Burn down the Patriarchy NOW/Culture change happens slowly
• Intrinsic calling/Extrinsic conformity
• I’m Awesome!/I will never be good enough
• Inner peace/Outrage
• Make sweeping delcarations/Qualify every statement

Wow.  That’s kind of a lot, and pretty complex.  And yet it’s so simple, so Zen. 

Life is an exercise in holding space—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally—for all that feels like contradiction.  We are here to reconcile it all, to dig it up in order to smooth it out, to make peace in the morass, to turn manure into fertilizer.  The flexibility to hold mutually divergent ideas at the same time, and to move fluidly from one pole to its opposite and back again in dynamic balance—this is my most valuable lesson from this year.

In April I wrote about the best thing that could happen from this pandemic:  Connection.  It’s already happening, and I’m so grateful.  I’m also inspired, empowered, and ambitious for more. 

Can’t wait for 2021.