Courage, Humility & Gratitude

I think there is no way to fully express the emotions we have all experienced over the last few weeks. With Omicron finally subsiding, but now a different kind of war consuming our hearts and minds, how do we process all we are seeing and experiencing, right now?

I’ve had many conversations with colleagues and friends over the last two weeks, who have such gratitude to see our pandemic subsiding and mask mandates lifting, and yet at the same time who are grappling with the gravity and brutality of war, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. All of us in awe of the courage of those fighting, and of President Zelensky, now showing the world what honor, humility and courageous leadership is. It’s times like these that bring out the very best, and the very worst, in humankind.

We have all been experiencing such a mixture of emotions. Gratitude, joy, relief, fear, worry, sadness, anger, guilt, horror.

What have you been feeling, these last few days? How are you processing all that you are experiencing? How are you caring for yourself and your loved ones, one day at a time?

In no way a comparison, but also an experience of common humanity, my husband and I said goodbye to our sweet cat fur baby Ellie last week, my constant companion for the last 16 years. Saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, even though it was the right thing to do, and it was her time to say goodbye. She was my first baby, by my side, through it all. I couldn’t stop crying for days.

I was reminded of how much each moment matters, of how we must take each moment of each day to rest, and to fill our cups, in whatever way we need to be ok on the inside. Whatever we need to continue to breathe, and to move forward.

Just as we need to allow ourselves to feel whatever emotions we are experiencing, right now, and to give ourselves the grace and space to rest and to heal. So that we can continue to support each other, and those around us. So that we can reach deep down inside of ourselves, to find our courage, our humility, and our common humanity.

Give yourself some grace today, and this weekend, dear friend.