Virtual hugs
In these days during which Covid-19 seems to dictate so many of our actions and non-actions, many of us have been restricted to virtual hugs. Of course, we all knew pandemics have visited humans many times during our relatively brief history . There was never any reason for any of us to assume that we would necessarily be able to live out our life dance without the visit of another pandemic and, yet, most of us were not prepared for 100,000 plus deaths in this country alone, face masks, social distancing, fights over toilet paper and sanitizing wipes, sudden economic collapse, no restaurant eating, or no live cultural or sporting events. In fact most of us are not prepared to let go of the illusion of permanence which last longer than this moment.
Zoom meetings or gatherings, virtual hugs, stimulus checks and the kindness of neighbors and other family members carried and continues to carries us from moment to moment until soon 70 + days have passed and the virus has settled into our homes as a permanent uninvited co-resident.
Often, against medical advice, many areas have begun to reopen to a new normal of virtual hugs, social distancing, restaurant workers with masks, and tables set far apart. Many are finding it impossible to maintain social distance and are risking the health of all they encounter and the health of all who encounter who they encountered and …..
A few of us, on the surface, will not have to sacrifice much. We will be able to pay rent, keep all the utilities on, buy and prepare food and some will even purchase a new 65 inch television. Day to day we will suffer few hardships unless, of course, we or another member of our household are visited by the virus or another unwelcome guest. Family and other friends will continue to also die of “natural causes. Funerals for those will be “private” and perhaps even then devoid of encircling arms.
Some of us are not used to or comfortable with physical touch outside of professional handshaking or scheduled love making with our spouse/partner. Virtual, unspoken or unnamed hugs are just fine thank you very much. Some of us, however, are accustomed to touch which insists on the sharing of the depths of our griefs and our joys. We thrive on being connected with our own emotions as well as those of others. We are not practiced at touching without touching.
There are moments when the loss of the opportunity to touch or be touched seems so painful that I secretly wish I was one who had never risked touching or allowed myself to touch and yet, why else live except to welcome the joy and grief of touching and letting go; touching and letting go; touching and letting go.
We may, for now, have to settle for virtual touch but we can all open our hearts and experience what it is to return ourselves to ourselves which as Ram Dass said allow us to return to the profound joy of walking each other home.
Written May 29, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
In these days during which Covid-19 seems to dictate so many of our actions and non-actions, many of us have been restricted to virtual hugs. Of course, we all knew pandemics have visited humans many times during our relatively brief history . There was never any reason for any of us to assume that we would necessarily be able to live out our life dance without the visit of another pandemic and, yet, most of us were not prepared for 100,000 plus deaths in this country alone, face masks, social distancing, fights over toilet paper and sanitizing wipes, sudden economic collapse, no restaurant eating, or no live cultural or sporting events. In fact most of us are not prepared to let go of the illusion of permanence which last longer than this moment.
Zoom meetings or gatherings, virtual hugs, stimulus checks and the kindness of neighbors and other family members carried and continues to carries us from moment to moment until soon 70 + days have passed and the virus has settled into our homes as a permanent uninvited co-resident.
Often, against medical advice, many areas have begun to reopen to a new normal of virtual hugs, social distancing, restaurant workers with masks, and tables set far apart. Many are finding it impossible to maintain social distance and are risking the health of all they encounter and the health of all who encounter who they encountered and …..
A few of us, on the surface, will not have to sacrifice much. We will be able to pay rent, keep all the utilities on, buy and prepare food and some will even purchase a new 65 inch television. Day to day we will suffer few hardships unless, of course, we or another member of our household are visited by the virus or another unwelcome guest. Family and other friends will continue to also die of “natural causes. Funerals for those will be “private” and perhaps even then devoid of encircling arms.
Some of us are not used to or comfortable with physical touch outside of professional handshaking or scheduled love making with our spouse/partner. Virtual, unspoken or unnamed hugs are just fine thank you very much. Some of us, however, are accustomed to touch which insists on the sharing of the depths of our griefs and our joys. We thrive on being connected with our own emotions as well as those of others. We are not practiced at touching without touching.
There are moments when the loss of the opportunity to touch or be touched seems so painful that I secretly wish I was one who had never risked touching or allowed myself to touch and yet, why else live except to welcome the joy and grief of touching and letting go; touching and letting go; touching and letting go.
We may, for now, have to settle for virtual touch but we can all open our hearts and experience what it is to return ourselves to ourselves which as Ram Dass said allow us to return to the profound joy of walking each other home.
Written May 29, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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