the fragile nature of life wanting to be born

I feel as if we are at the cusp of complete and total system collapse and that the end is very near. I’m aware we’ve been holding our collective breaths in anxious anticipation of this moment and praying every day for the insanity to end. With certain political deaths (come on….we all know MM is dead), there just can’t be too many threads left holding this thing together.

The other night, while enjoying live music put on by several young people with whom my daughter attended high school, and chatting with one of the moms about the coming end, she asked a pertinent question:  “When the system finally comes down, it’s going to take years, if not lifetimes to rebuild. How are we going to do this?????”  I responded, “We won’t be doing it, our kids will…….and they are already doing it!” (as I waved my hand in the direction of her son and his friends who organized the performance as a fundraiser for local music programs)

The new is already taking place and piece by piece it is being born. I see it everywhere – in innovative and forward-thinking methods of education; in the changing marketplace where the capitalistic behemoths of shopping malls are quickly being replaced by small, locally owned businesses and on-line shops.  Even in politics, the young are slowly replacing the old and they are coming in with fresh, new ideas, and a vision built on diversity and inclusion, and social justice with the goal of meeting the needs of the common good.

Many sparks of the new are quiet and unassuming, some are bold and have become media darlings. Whether loud or subdued, the tender shoots of new hope are making their way into our world, seeking out a place to take root and grow. As it is with anything just being born, or newly born, with these tender shoots we must handle them with care.

In handling with care, there are several rules to which we must adhere:

Take care not to frighten or overwhelm these new lives. 

As is our nature, when we become excited or hopeful about something new, we often rush in with over enthusiasm and premature over-commitment. Don’t get married to the new until it has fully come on board and you know and understand exactly what it might be.

Give it room to be fully born.

Give the new space as it finds itself. As much as we might want to help support, push it onward, prop it up, cheer it on, our eager interference may not help, but could, in fact, cause harm.

Trust in the process.

Let life unfold on its own. The Universe has an innate wisdom which supports the birth and sustenance of new life. Let the Universe do its job.

Don’t take it personal by attempting to interpret it through an old lens.

I’m seeing this specifically in the field of politics, but it’s true in every case of the new trying to find a home for itself. The example that most readily comes to mind are the words being used to try to describe the new – terms like “Social Democrat,” “Government Owned,” or “Defund.”  I’ve seen people literally lose their minds over these terms when they attempt to interpret them through a “Cold War” lens, immediately dismissing the individual and their platform without taking the time to understand what they mean by these words. 

Equally, those bringing in the new may be served by finding a new language to describe their vision instead of sticking to words that have historically been triggering for some due to their past conditioning.

And finally…..give yourself time and space to grieve.

That which we have known is dying and has been since the time of its inception. A system born out of separation and fear cannot and will not persist – as we are witnessing now. We may be glad for the collapse, but what has been is what we have known, and every time we are faced with the end of what we have known, we suffer grief. So, Weep. Rage. Allow yourself periods of immobility. Acknowledge the denial and bargaining (what if…..if only…..we should have…it will get better) that gives your anxious mind something to do while creating space from the pain of grief. Take care of yourself when the trauma of it all becomes too much. And do not feel guilty when all you need in this moment is to dissociate through social media or with your 8000^th viewing of Game of Thrones.

This will all be over soon (not soon enough as many have said), and the new is definitely coming into being – in fact it’s already here.  Where are you seeing it and how is it giving you hope?