These colorful prayer flags blessing everything below them remind me that we could use all the blessings we can get right now.
Then, I think of some of what we’ve lost. The freedom to travel and see these beautiful flags flying in Tibet or in India or in other distant countries is lost right now. Maybe just temporarily gone, but for older Americans, “temporary” means something different than it did when we were younger. How long will we have to limit our travel? Will we even be healthy enough to travel like that? Will we even be alive?
Going within
These are reasonable questions at our age.
Never have I ever needed a spiritual or meditation retreat more than I do now. To go deeply within and find that comfort. Even something as simple as a retreat here in the U.S. can’t be done in person right now: too risky.
I wonder if I’ll ever again feel safe going to a retreat center, sitting in a group and chanting without masks, swaying or dancing to the sound of a harmonium, guitar, violin and tabla. Online retreats have been helpful, but not the same thing at all. But we make do. Lucky to have them at all.
Perspective & privilege
As I write, I should be exploring the fjords of Norway. It was the last of my true “bucket list” items. Last year, the ship didn’t get finished in time and the cruise line cancelled the trip. We changed trip purveyors and rebooked a similar itinerary for this year. It was not to be. Norway was the first of our trip cancellations because of Covid. And, I’m not sure I’ll ever again feel safe on a cruise ship. Could this be a pleasure lost for good?
Do I sound entitled? I hope I sound lucky. My sense of perspective reminds me that if this disappointment is the worst outcome of my experience in the Covid era, I am lucky, indeed. It’s hardly comparable to the experiences of those who have lost loved ones or battled for their own lives.
Perspective is something that some fail to access during these times. The perspective that the world doesn’t revolve around them and their right to breathe their mask-less breaths on the rest of us. And that when they risk spreading the virus to us they are risking our lives. The perspective that it’s wrong.
Oh, if i had a nickel for every Covid victim who is now sorry they denied the harm before they came down with it.
Serious talk about being our sister’s keeper
Some people have to learn the hard way. But that puts those of us who know better in harm’s way.
I look at prayer flags blessing those below and think about how we are all in this together. And also about how many people quote the Bible but don’t walk the talk of being one another’s brother or sister Or doing unto others. How Christian are they, really?
The Greatest Generation also comes to mind, and the many sacrifices they made without whining. Does anyone today even remember the hardships during the Depression? During WW2?
Perspective. Prayer flags and perspective. Today’s thought.
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I had never heard of prayer flags either. So sorry about your trips. You made me think of when I went to Miraval. I’d love to be there, well, not in the heat, but maybe in the fall. That won’t be happening but it’s nice to think about.
This is the first I’ve heard about prayer flags. I want to know more!
I do not think our old normal will ever be again. Yet, I am confident that we will regain a sense of confidence, safety, and normalcy. I think about all the controls that are now in place because of the AIDS epedemic. They were so strange in the beginning, now they are part of our every day life.
We’ll be okay. We’ll be carefree again. We’ll just be different.