2020…

I understand 2020 has been the year from hell, but can we just take a moment to realize how fantastic Covid has been for us a human species????

Now I don’t mean dying is great or being isolated and can’t breathe is a wonderful thing. I don’t want to take away from the seriousness of this virus at all.

But in the dark corner the world seems stuck in there is something truly mind baffling happening. All of a sudden the world has suddenly shut down. Everything has come to a halt. Everyday life as we once knew it has changed. like the distractions of life just disappeared. What this has done is forced us as a species to reevaluate everything. To open our eyes and look around for a change.

Its like the rose colored glasses have come off and now we’re seeing life for what it truly is. Our values, morals, ideals, behaviors, we ourselves are all we can see and now are looking at.

True pain, and hurt, and discomfort is being felt universally. People are finally facing and accepting hard truths that may have been swept under the rug, been brewing beneath the surface, sitting at the back of the mind. We are beginning to recognize our own faults. How our behavior has affecting ourselves, others, society and the environment. We are able to identify toxic traits we probably had no idea we were carrying. Our relationships with ourselves, our partners, our friends and family, our earth are all now being dissected and examined.

See this year, the world has experienced major trauma. A sudden impact causing extensive injury and wounds. Some have lost their lives, others are badly injured, some (few in the grand scheme of things) managing to escape with a small scratch or bruise. But just like a physical wound, emotional, mental and systemic wounds have a process to following. And all wounds start with cleaning. Nothing can heal when residual dirt is left inside. We can’t begin to fix things without exposed the shit (forgive my language). Without proper cleaning, an infection will build and what you thought you dealt with only gets multiplied.

We’ve exposed our demons, our dirt, our filth. We’re in the process of removing it. But we got to makes sure we’re delicate and yet aggressive about it. This sounds contradicting but couldn’t be more true. We need to be aggressive in terms of actively addressing and uncovering underlying infections. This is the daily commitment to face things regardless of how bad it stings. To continue to fight when you’re knocked down. To keep hope alive. But the delicate side to it is love, to love yourself enough to allow the healing process to take its course. To love your neighbor enough to wipe away their tears. To nurture and care for yourself, others and the world.

As a believer that everything happens for a reason, I can’t help but see 2020 as a gift despite the waves we’ve been getting hit with. I’m struggling to catch a breath as much as the next person don’t get me wrong. But to say that this year hasn’t challenged and changed you would be a lie. And if it hasn’t forced you to clean your own closet, and address your own issues, and have empathy for some else, that’s just a tragedy.