Sunday Musings – December 20, 2020
In some places in the world, including in the United States, some essential workers are receiving a vaccine which will either prevent them from contracting covid-19 or as I understand it, If already infected, lessen the severity of their symptoms. Many will be waiting months to get the vaccine. Some will elect not to get it. So far the vaccines have only been tested on and approved for adults. Several sources have reported Dr. Anthony Facci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases predicting that if 75 to 80% of the population (In United States), get vaccinated by the end of the second quarter (June 30) of 2021 then by the end of 2021 we can return to some degree of normalcy. Of course, this means those who are still living and those business's which have survived can return to some degree of normalcy. I have not seen any prediction of how long it would take for the average family, business and community to return to a pre-covid-19 level of stability.
It is fitting that on 20th of December we renew our vows to mother earth, to the gifts and lessons of the past and to the opportunities which will become our future.
Yesterday would have been the 55th anniversary of my marriage to Beverly in the National Presbyterian Church in D.C . On that date the church was still located in the historic stone building near Dupont Circle in Washington, D. C. Many Poinsettia plants and ever green trees decorated the sanctuary as her mother, step farther and stepbrother, along with my cousin Roger and his wife Jerri joined our church family to bear witness to our marriage vows, to host a reception and send us off with sincere wishes for a long and happy union. Nearly 5 years late on the 4th of December our son Jamie was born in Princeton, New Jersey where I was attending seminary. Later while serving a church as pastor in Hoonah, Alaska Beverly and I kept our vows by agreeing to separate and divorce.
Sometimes parting is the most honorable and kindest way to keep one’s vows. When we discover that the dreams we dreamed in the past no longer are realistic or achievable one needs to invite new dreams. One, of course, hopes to learn from the past, but one also hopes not to idealize or worship the past or the future. I now know that I began that marriage with no appreciation or acceptance of how little I knew or accepted of myself and that I had even less knowledge of who she was; whether I was equipped emotionally and spiritually to honor the vow to truly care for each other in sickness and in health.
Most of us began 2020 with dreams and vows. We had a rough plan of how we would care for ourselves and each other; where and how we would gather to work, play and nurture each other; and what we would accomplish professionally, emotionally, financially and spiritually. Covid-19 and other life events forced us to redesign of let go of many of those plans.
It is now time for dreams and plans for 2021. Many of us, who still have homes, will begin the year with cleaned out attics, closets and basements. We will begin the year with some level of acceptance of living with Covid-19 for all or most of the year. We may renew our vows to our families, our community, our country and our planet. For many of us this may mean facing the challenges of letting go of our marriage to our partner, honoring the decision of our children to find their way without our advice or presence, opening to a new career or a new stage in life, reevaluating our relationship with our communities and planet earth. With any luck we have fewer illusions than we did at this time last year. Perhaps we even have a bit more courage to face ourselves, each other and 2021 as they are and not as we hope they will be. Perhaps we are ready to embrace 2021 on its terms, sure in the knowledge that nothing need prevent us from growing emotionally and spiritually; from being our most creative and loving selves.
Written December 20, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
In some places in the world, including in the United States, some essential workers are receiving a vaccine which will either prevent them from contracting covid-19 or as I understand it, If already infected, lessen the severity of their symptoms. Many will be waiting months to get the vaccine. Some will elect not to get it. So far the vaccines have only been tested on and approved for adults. Several sources have reported Dr. Anthony Facci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases predicting that if 75 to 80% of the population (In United States), get vaccinated by the end of the second quarter (June 30) of 2021 then by the end of 2021 we can return to some degree of normalcy. Of course, this means those who are still living and those business's which have survived can return to some degree of normalcy. I have not seen any prediction of how long it would take for the average family, business and community to return to a pre-covid-19 level of stability.
It is fitting that on 20th of December we renew our vows to mother earth, to the gifts and lessons of the past and to the opportunities which will become our future.
Yesterday would have been the 55th anniversary of my marriage to Beverly in the National Presbyterian Church in D.C . On that date the church was still located in the historic stone building near Dupont Circle in Washington, D. C. Many Poinsettia plants and ever green trees decorated the sanctuary as her mother, step farther and stepbrother, along with my cousin Roger and his wife Jerri joined our church family to bear witness to our marriage vows, to host a reception and send us off with sincere wishes for a long and happy union. Nearly 5 years late on the 4th of December our son Jamie was born in Princeton, New Jersey where I was attending seminary. Later while serving a church as pastor in Hoonah, Alaska Beverly and I kept our vows by agreeing to separate and divorce.
Sometimes parting is the most honorable and kindest way to keep one’s vows. When we discover that the dreams we dreamed in the past no longer are realistic or achievable one needs to invite new dreams. One, of course, hopes to learn from the past, but one also hopes not to idealize or worship the past or the future. I now know that I began that marriage with no appreciation or acceptance of how little I knew or accepted of myself and that I had even less knowledge of who she was; whether I was equipped emotionally and spiritually to honor the vow to truly care for each other in sickness and in health.
Most of us began 2020 with dreams and vows. We had a rough plan of how we would care for ourselves and each other; where and how we would gather to work, play and nurture each other; and what we would accomplish professionally, emotionally, financially and spiritually. Covid-19 and other life events forced us to redesign of let go of many of those plans.
It is now time for dreams and plans for 2021. Many of us, who still have homes, will begin the year with cleaned out attics, closets and basements. We will begin the year with some level of acceptance of living with Covid-19 for all or most of the year. We may renew our vows to our families, our community, our country and our planet. For many of us this may mean facing the challenges of letting go of our marriage to our partner, honoring the decision of our children to find their way without our advice or presence, opening to a new career or a new stage in life, reevaluating our relationship with our communities and planet earth. With any luck we have fewer illusions than we did at this time last year. Perhaps we even have a bit more courage to face ourselves, each other and 2021 as they are and not as we hope they will be. Perhaps we are ready to embrace 2021 on its terms, sure in the knowledge that nothing need prevent us from growing emotionally and spiritually; from being our most creative and loving selves.
Written December 20, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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