Mary’s
Minute
“For all of its
uncertainty, we cannot flee the future.”
~ Barbara Jordan
Living in the present is important to
reducing stress in our lives, and now that seems truer than ever. I think the hardest part about our present situation
is that we cannot predict the future.
Parents of teenagers might be able to
relate to this story. My kids are now
19, 21, and 31, and I think they are all pretty thoughtful and mature, but I
have had moments when I thought, “Oh my gosh, is this the way it is going to be…
forever?” We all have bad days, but when
my teenagers had bad days and were moody and/or sassy, I was afraid that I had
lost them! Those moments truly were just
moments, and quickly passed.
When we have the worst hurricane or wild
fire season on record, we are left wondering if this is a once in a century
phenomenon or if our climate is changing and this is the new norm.
As we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic,
we can look back at the Spanish Flu pandemic and rest easy, knowing this too
shall pass, and that this is once-in-a-century event. Or we can panic thinking it is the beginning
of a pattern of viral invasions!
When we feel sick, we typically think
that we just have a bug, and we will feel better the next day. Then there are the moments where we feel ill,
and nearly panic thinking that this is the first step of declining health.
Patterns are powerful in that they can help
predict the future, but patterns for all their power are unpredictable. I won’t
talk mathematics because I will fail miserably.
Instead, I will just urge us all to do our best to not fear the future, despite
its uncertainty. From my personal
experience, the future is not nearly as scary as fear it might be!
Stay
positive!
Mary
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