On an essential trip (with face mask and physical distancing naturally) to the local dollar store, I was pleasantly surprised when – voila! – I came across shelves full of spring gardening stuff. This was a welcome signal for the coming warmer months, and it is only January! At first the thought that came to mind was that this was just a way for the company or store to think that they could somehow influence the elements and “force” the early coming of spring. But then, I also figured out shortly that the store would probably be backed up by market research on the weather. But whatever the reasons were, it was certainly a very relieving sight to see. Somehow, I could feel in my imagination the warming temperature and being outdoors soaking in the sun and fresh air. An alleluia moment indeed! That vision alone buoyed up my spirits. Being cooped up indoors in the winter can be fun and comforting, for a while. The infinite content available online and myriad home activities to explore and engage in are quite absorbing indeed. This, of course, does not preclude us from enjoying the infinitely satisfying creature comforts of sleeping and eating with one unwanted effect though – gaining a bit of weight.
To top it all, it just seems like we have been on lockdown, literally and figuratively, for almost a year now. It has been a bit nerve-wracking after months of this pandemic distancing. But hark, the sun is not far off especially with a vaccine and warmer months ahead. More of fresh air and greenery can’t come any sooner. Personally, I think the sacrifice was, and is, worthwhile. I learned a lot of things this past year. After all is said and done, I am getting a distinctive whiff of better, safer and calmer times ahead and; I am sure I am not the only one
While living most of my life in the Philippines, I took for granted and did not quite appreciate having so much sun. Now I know better. For me, the point is that all things are good. I equate that to the age-old saying – everything happens for a reason. What happens now is the potential for your becoming aside from its being the effect/result of past thoughts and actions. When I say that, I admit that it is an “ouch” moment for me too. Hard to swallow but that is a universal truth – for every action there is a reaction/consequence. A paraphrase of Newton’s – For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Remember “entanglement quantum” which I mentioned in my last column? That is one thing that some (or many) of us were compelled to do so during this year-long lockdown – reflect on ourselves, life and on other things we never had time or convenience to do so in the hustle and bustle of our daily, living activities. The good thing is that it gave us a chance to make better use of what we have now. That is, if we did make good use of it. But no worries. Now is always here. So every moment is the right time to make good use of what we have. Before I wax too philosophical, let me segue to a perfect example of making the best of one’s life.
I am reminded of a new-found friend of mine in Canada with an amazing story. No names though. She is a living testimony of that very same universal principle. At a certain point in her successful and active life, she contracted a serious illness which impacted her life. Having been an intrepid and active outdoor enthusiast including skiing and mountain climbing she had to give these up for a while. I say, for a while, because even when she could only use one of her limbs in a restricted manner as a result of her illness, she resumed doing all her outdoor activities albeit in a gradually increasing manner. She did not give up. Even engaging in winter camping. And here she is now, perfectly healthy and just as active even in her senior years. As a crowning glory, she put up a non-profit school and has been running it in a poor, underdeveloped community in a far-away country, traveling back and forth from Canada. This is just a very abridged story of her life. Maybe someday, her life should be made into a documentary and aired publicly to serve as an inspiration to others. Hopefully, she would agree to it.
I am sure there are numerous others with inspiring stories to tell. Stories that evoke empathy and hope for better understanding of each other regardless of race, color and creed. Not just one-to-one love but universal love. With February 14 only weeks away, it would be a timely way to remind ourselves of this non-exclusive, inclusive kind of love for all beings. Sometime ago, my philosophy teacher said that to give to your family is insurance. But to give to others, to strangers, is real universal love. It may be a bitter pill to swallow but if you think about it, it is true. It is a lot to chew but bears a lot of thinking and analyzing. How about challenging yourself to ruminate on this for some time.
In the meantime, let us rejoice on the signs of spring coming. As the English author Chaucer said (in old English) – Spring is icumen in! Let us look forward to celebrating love and peace for all on Valentine’s Day and all the days of our lives. Easy to say but not quite easy to put into action for what good are words if they are not seen in our actions.
Let me not forget also – Happy Lunar New Year! From the year of the Rat we now transit into the Year of the Ox. It is wonderful to know that in the Chinese zodiac, the ox denotes the hard work, positivity and honesty that will be manifested in all of us in the coming 12 months. Sounds good to me!
Tessie O. Taylor
Comments welcome: taylorteresita@gmail.com