March 16, 2020
It is a Monday.
The last couple of weeks have seen a worldwide event that has stopped almost all nations and their daily lives. Those affected number over 160,00 so far with a death toll of over 6,000. The World Health Organization finally categorized it as a pandemic.
This means it is only the beginning.
Countries and their leadership are scrambling to implement measures to stop the spreading or transmission of it further. The world’s citizens are being asked to self-quarantine themselves as part of the effort to stop the spreading of the virus further.
These days are uncertain for many.
It’s during this time people have also been asked to practice social distancing or keeping away from areas where there is large gathering of people together to further reduce the risk of spreading it within their communities.
Life as we know it is coming to a standstill.
In my own country each state is implementing their own measures and most companies are shutting down for a period of time, adjusting how they continue to do business with the public, or continuing work through online means. Public entities like schools, libraries, churches, and the like have closed their doors temporarily or extended what was our spring break from the normal school year and moved classes to an online format as well.
The things we took for granted will need to change.
So, with all of this going on the state of our world is changing before our very eyes.
We as the human race are being forced into taking a moment to step back, slow down our pace, and reflect on who we are. Reflect on what is important to us not as just individuals anymore but as a whole.
I am born from the indigenous people of this continent called North America. We were here long before people from other regions of the world placed their footprints and then their flags on our land then claiming for their own.
We as a people, many tribal names we are known by, have always believed we are connected to this Mother Earth. That every living being, creature, plant, and waterway is important to our existence because we are supposed to co-exist with one another. Without one the other cannot exist. Our purpose is to protect the Earth and its inhabitants.
I personally believe that the energy we put out is connected to one another. Positive energy and good vibes reverberate to heal one another. Negative energy and bad vibes cause discourse and turmoil among us. We are all connected.
These days have me thinking back to an incident that I want to share with you, the reader, today. It has been weighing heavily on my thoughts of late. I’ve already spoken about it with my loved ones and now I want to put it out into the universe for others to know.
I have lived on this Earth going on 49 years and have seen so many changes to the world. Positive and negative both coexisting. It wasn’t until I became a parent though, that I really started paying attention to the things going on around me because it was going to affect my children and their futures.
In the spring of 2011, I was a busy stay at home mom. Working part time, military duties, and raising a family. So, there were days when I would be busy at home, cleaning, cooking, etc. During this time there would always be a knock at the door during the day. People selling things and people from local churches trying to spread their message. I normally would just ignore them or take their pamphlets to be courteous but that would be about it. I didn’t want to be bothered.
One spring day, I had just finished mopping the floors and was sweeping the outside walk leading up to the house when an elderly “church” lady showed up. She came up with her bible in hand and a few pamphlets. That day for some reason, I didn’t just shoo her away.
First, she asked me if I attended any local churches and I told her no. Then she wanted to ask me a few questions as it related to scriptures. So, I told her okay. It was something from the bible about the end of times, the apocalypse. This was in response to all the talk that year about 2012 being the end of the Mayan calendar and supposedly the end of the world. We went back and forth over it then she asked me what I thought was going to happen? Did I believe the world was going to end?
I told her no. Instead I talked about the fact that it wouldn’t be the end of the world in 2012 but that we were heading toward an event so great it would make the world stop and re-evaluate who we are, what we believe in, and how we interact with one another. It wouldn’t be just an American thing but a global thing. This event would affect every man, woman and child. The event would affect all ages, classes, cultures, and demographics. That the way things were moving at that time and the changes that were occurring so rapidly then would come to a standstill. That it was inevitable. The Earth wouldn’t let us keep going the way we were going. We as people are just inhabitants and we don’t own anything. We come into the world with nothing and leave it the same way. Everything in between is based on our choices that we make every day.
The look on her face was of great concern. I knew she didn’t really like what I said in that moment. I have to admit, even when I was saying it, I wasn’t really sure where it was coming from. It was just this random moment of thoughts that came forth during the discussion. Based partly what I was seeing going on at that time.
We as a world were still getting over the events of 9/11. As an American, a parent to young kids and also a military soldier at that time, it was still in my daily thoughts. The rest was based on how I felt on a personal level as a parent. I want a better place for my children, all parents should. All adults should want a better place for our future leaders. We couldn’t keep going on the way we were and leaving things to be fixed by future generations. It was true then and still true today.
After I said what I needed to say, she looked really uncomfortable to be standing there, so she handed me some other pamphlets and left. I honestly didn’t think she would be back. She came back 7 more times. Every week for almost 2 months.
The last time I saw her was when she stopped by to say goodbye. During that 7 weeks she had this transformation to her thoughts. She told me it was because of what I said to her. She told me that she finally said it to her Bible study group and it made them feel differently about things as well. She said that out of all the people she had asked that question to, mine was the only one that was thoughtful, insightful, and made sense to her. The others before me were apparently all doom and gloom.
It was during that time she decided to finally move back to stay with her kids in Florida. They had been asking her for years to come live with them and her grandchildren. She told me she liked being this independent person but that conversation made her realized how important her family especially her grandchildren were to her.
She was actually getting on a plane the next day to leave but wanted to stop by and thank me. It was the oddest encounter I think I have ever had with someone from an “organized’ religion. I know I’ve mention before that I believe in a Creator, Higher Power, or the Universe but I don’t believe in churches or organized religion. It’s a personal choice based on things that happened when I was growing up.
That moment in my life I have been carrying around for 9 years now. It has always been there in the back of my thoughts. Then the last few weeks it came to the forefront. I don’t know why? Is this the change that I was talking about? Is the feeling that I was carrying around with me this whole time?
As I was going through social media, the news and just the internet in general I can see the changes this event is having on everyone. Everything that was so entrenched in the ideas of people have fallen to the wayside for most. It just isn’t that important anymore. Life isn’t about things anymore it’s about us surviving this together. We have become humankind again. The way we should have always been. We got lost along the way but the path is open.
Are we going to take it or head in the wrong direction again?
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and visit my little blog.
It’s full of thoughts that I randomly release out into the universe
Hopefully you found something interesting.
Have a great week ahead!
Stay safe were you are and take care.
Peace, love, happiness, and good vibes to you, always!
Suzanne
love to bake 