Affirming the Place of Life

Last night was a rough one. One of the roughest in a while. Fears for the country and the planet…personal fears and regrets, roads not taken, beloveds who passed over, all the 3:00 a.m. shadows that keep me staring at the ceiling, trying to take in the Solfeggio Youtube music playing on my face-down phone, praying, grieving, doing self-Reiki, hugging cats, until finally sleep arrives.
And every so often, in the midst of it, there comes the gut-punch – why keep going? Look at what’s happening in the world, what good can I do? I invoke spirit guides and ancestors for comfort and guidance, as the tsunami of fear-grief-despair crashes over me, until it passes and I am clinging to a boulder-like certainty…
The work is to affirm the place of Life in the world. That’s what it’s all about – the Reiki, the gardening, the cats, this work. Holding the place of Life. Daily seeking out and offering glimpses of beauty created in the world, valor demonstrated, creativity manifested, healing achieved, connection with nature practiced, community built.
Even if it’s just a glimpse of one small act, one simple practice, one book or video or local resource. It’s still a crack in the monolith of brutality being erected, a chink in the looming cold-front of despair through which light shines. An affirmation and invocation of the deep purpose each of us carries, serving Life beyond the Procrustean worth assigned or denied by the standards of this culture.
Once there’s that core assurance, guidance follows: Simplify, downsize. Go out daily and dwell on deep nature connection, talk and listen to the plants, the birds, the devas. Sing, dance, make music, chant. Feed your soul. Take one step at a time, be present, don’t multitask. Trust and give thanks for openings and opportunities you haven’t seen yet. Remember, Nature and Spirit always, always, bat last. Simple practices, affirmations, assurances.
But it all starts with affirming the place of Life.