These are some discoveries of mine that I have made during the pandemic.
I asked Facebook friends to share what they’ve discovered about themselves during the pandemic. I also share here, my own self discoveries.
I have found that I am a deeply reflective person and in the midst of the pandemic I have searched daily to find some form of humor to float my spirit. Comedians fuel this need for me. With so much time spent at home, I’ve grown to know that I love writing more than I ever thought, and that I love, most, writing things that might aid in another person’s happiness or peace. When I tap out words meant to inspire others, the words are like medicine to me, that later might serve others as well.
I have found that I miss getting dressed up and going to the theatre, as I love the arts, including fashion and getting dressed up for events as a patron of the arts. I have found that I actually require and need much less than I thought I needed. I have found a deeper love for birds, as I sit outdoors on nice days and listen to their singing, while nature watching, as deer and wild turkeys pass through my lawn. I have found that I was always a dog lover, but during these times, I’ve found just how deeply and often my dogs make me smile and how I feel their unconditional love regardless of how I am feeling on any given day. My faith in God/Divine Order/Divine Presence is even-more stronger than it was before the pandemic and that faith fills my heart with hope for better times.
My 81 year old aunt said, she’s discovered that every time another bad news comes in, that she is stronger than she knew she was before the pandemic. Prayers, reading, connecting with family and friends online, and on the phone, sustain her, while trying to be an inspiration to others and maintaining a sense of calm is what comforts her and also what she’s learned through the pandemic. “Like swans and ducks, who appear calm on the surface of the water, but underneath their feet are pedalling vigorously towards positivity.” She recommends that we all stay calm but keep pedalling underneath while doing practices that make us happy. She also revealed, “God does not make mistakes. Keep the faith, and SMILE.”
A friend of mine who is a dance teacher, has come to realize that she can actually, sit and watch television with a sense of calm, and even went on to say, “All though these times are uncertain, certain things, like love, time, and thoughtfulness go so very far,’ as she prepares her dance studio for the return of dancers, ready to express themselves through movement.
An actor friend of mine has found a return to listening to old music, on her record player – songs by Frank Sinatra, Grover Washington, and Pat Metheny.
Sometimes just hearing the scratching song from the needles on our records conjures a sense of hope for the future, while also that of honoring our past.
My yogini, musician, model, artist friend, Kirsten Lyon, has found a deeper connection to her music through our times of isolation, and sharing her love of music is healing for her as well as her fans, as she strums on her guitar offer a sense of vibrancy and color, not just through her rainbow-colored hair, but within the lyrics of her music, within in them, we feel a sense of hope and inspiration through her music and words.
It is our artists, their art, that will sustain our sense of joy, hope, beauty, and rainbows in abundance after the pandemic storm passes, which will help to keep us strong and positive.
When times get you down, get back up, feel and process the emotions, and then keep dancing, singing, listening and feeling the world of our artists out there – who were meant to save the world in a rather subtle but very profound way.
And when you struggle the most while traversing these times, listen to the great, Nat King Cole’s rendition of, “Smile,” like my aunt said, “Smile,” and, “Though your heart is aching, Smile, even though it’s breaking, when there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by, if you just smile.”
Feature image credit – photographer: Uglykidproductions; model: Kirsten Lyon
