“Never think that a small action done to your neighbor is not worth much. It is not how much we do that is pleasing to God, but how much love we put into the doing.” -Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Beware and Be Aware... By: Mary Beth Rice
As a volunteer with Launch Leadership in the summer, I am blessed to spend a week with 18-year-old humans who hold so much space in their hearts for hope and creativity and how they might be world changers in all of it. We write mission statements and share pieces of our lives with each other—the dreams we have for ourselves and others. We go out into the community and do service projects. We explore our passions and learn about differences and commonalities, pondering how we might collaborate to make our world a better place.
As delegates embark on their last year of high school, I have loved introducing the concept of living in the “unknown.” I learned of this notion when reading Melody Beattie’s book, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact. Entering the unknown happens at important moments in our lives; the varied life transitions where we find ourselves on a blank page, sometimes in a place of fear. Experiences in which we flounder, run or walk mindfully through—choosing the latter is best but sometimes, quite frankly, I am stumbling in a fog or racing to get past some piece of life of which I am unsure or fearful. Graduating from high school is certainly one of these transitions as is marriage, losing a love one, moving to another city, having children, changing careers, and working through cancer.
Beattie explains that some cultures “honor and revere that mysterious place called the Unknown. Native American culture and Buddhism teach people to beware and be aware of it...it is a powerful time when forces are working hard to help us create the new.” So here we all are, paused and on hold, the future uncertain with COVID-19.
Beware. Be aware...of what may transpire.
I know...Beware of people and socially distance myself. Beware of touching my face or door knobs or any foreign surface. Beware of a fever, dry cough or shortness of breath. Beware of the ramifications of not washing my hands or protecting those around me, especially the elderly. Beware of running out of toilet paper or accidentally “going in for a hug” when near a loved one. I get it! But in this unknown place, changing hour by hour, I also hope to beware of letting fear control me; of being consumed with worry and “glass half empty” thinking. I want to beware of projecting some dark future rather than staying mindful and present.
I’d rather focus on being aware. The awareness of the sacred quiet in the morning before anyone else is awake, the crisp chilly wind in my face when riding my bike, the gratitude in my mom’s voice when I call to chat...the peace I feel inside when I make time to pray. These are moments that make me feel grateful and hopeful.
I want to be aware of how my son is feeling while being what seems like a zillion miles away from the rest of us; of a neighbor who might be needing some extra support—even if it is just a gallon of milk dropped at her doorstep. I want to notice how relaxing it feels to step into a good book or how intoxicating it is to smell Gram Bea’s chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. (see Joymaking for full proof recipe!) I want to take in the lightness I feel after cleaning out another messy drawer, grasping for some sense of order in my life.
Now is a great time to reflect on what matters most in our lives and what matters least. As we practice isolation and step away from society, can we pause and consider what we can do in this moment wholeheartedly? Can we be aware of the very thing that might be of service or bring joy and hope to our families? Our co-workers? Our neighbors? Can we set an intention to connect with and encourage those near and far?
In this universal unknown, may we all be aware of something we can wholeheartedly create, do, or share with another—with great love—six feet away, of course!