Movement Monday: The Great Awakening

Black Eyes Susan's at my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

The Great Realignment or the Great Awakening? I took this photo on my iphone during the The media is referring to this winter as dark and long. I prefer to call it The Great Awakening - a time where people are becoming more aware of many things: how connected we all really are... how what I do or don't do impacts my neighbor... the history I was told may not be true... what is really essential in my life. We effect and impact either other, locally, globally, even when we think we don't.

The pandemic has been a spiritual teacher of sorts, forcing us to learn some painful lessons.

It's a time of a great reconciling. People are waking up to what hasn't worked, or was built on a less than solid foundation, no longer works. Stories we were told, or not told, are now being revealed or rewritten. As a country, we have much to still reconcile. It's been a year of much social unrest, ironically, while we were socially distant.

I'd like to share an article, published today by my daughter, Nikki Shaner-Bradford, Troubled Indemnity. She reveals the truth behind reparations in this country. There is so much to learn and become aware of, and I am learning much from the next generation. We cannot fix what we don't have in our awareness, or don't choose to understand.

I leave it with you to explore the content of Nikki's article. It moved me profoundly. Why wasn't I taught this in history class? The answer is painfully obvious. We share history and shape the stories in ways that serve us.

It may seem odd that I chose a photo of flowers for this post. I took this photo last summer at my CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and I love looking at it as I sit in Connecticut with over a foot of snow on the ground on the shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice has the longest night, the most darkness. I remain inwardly light and optimistic, knowing there is much work to do as a people moving forward in a way that works better for everyone.

Notice in these flowers there is light and darkness all within the beauty of the flower. In college, my painting professor often reminded us, "Within the darks there are some lights, and with the lights there are some darks." This can be a metaphor for our lives and the times we are living in.

2020 has been a time of much challenge - whether you or a loved one has lost a job, a family member or your work or social life has been completely upended or taxed. The invitation is to find hope and meaning as you navigate a way forward. Yes, the vaccine has created hope. And what is happening is much more than a vaccine or the promise of a renewed way of living.

This year has been a catalyst for promoting different conversations. It's a time for getting at greater truths. It's a time for promoting a greater sense of compassion, empathy and understanding, for the collective good. What is your role and what do you choose to know? What to choose to learn? What do you choose to do with what you now know?

Action

What is one thing you say or do today that promotes greater understanding, connection or a willingness to learn from those who are different from you?

I wish you and your loved ones, if not happiness during the holidays, perhaps some peace and resolve.