Finding the Light during times of Darkness
“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”
— Kitty O’Meara
*Deep inhale, deep exhale* I would first like to say, I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. Corona Virus or COVID-19 is crazy. Who would have thought that there was going to be something that in many ways made the world stop for a few weeks or even months? That is wild to even think about…never mind have as a reality.
I guess I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. I have been working to better understand my feelings and trying to see the positives in this situation. Let me tell you, it is hard. However, there are two things that I have stumbled on that I really feel are true. First, I believe that from all bad situation, good comes. In these times where so many people are hurting and struggling we can see many other people coming together to help. Whether it be Uber offering free delivery from local restaurants, Kahn Academy testing their technology so that it may handle this huge increase of users, or the nurses who are working nonstop and around the clock to help make people healthy again.
The second is this. Through tough times like these, we have to remember that without darkness there can be no light. The lights of my life are you guys. My family and friends. The people who read and love my blog. My teammates and coaches. My doctors, nurses, teachers, and nutritionist. The individuals who build me up, make me laugh, and above all, help me grow. Those of you who share your fire and relight my wick after it has gone out. Well you should know, that in a time like this, my flame is dimmer than normal but it has not gone out, and if yours has or does I will be there (six feet apart) to relight your wick.
I want this platform to be a place that fosters love, community and a better understanding of each other. I have been told by people who love me dearly and deeply that I may be too vulnerable on this blog. That I may be too honest with the world and put myself in a situation that could enable me to get hurt. Yet in my experience it has enabled me to be seen for who I truly am and then be loved for her. Through this platform I have deeply connected with the world and quite honestly myself, for that, I am eternally grateful. I also have learned how hard that can be and so especially in a time like this, I just want to say I am so very grateful to everyone who has reached out to me to tell me that by pushing myself to be vulnerable and honest, I have helped you. I have seen so much growth in myself in the last nine months of this blog and that is because of you all.
As I sit here now writing this I am allowing myself to feel every uncomfortable and hard emotion. To let myself feel sadness, heartbreak, loneliness, boredom, fear, disconnection, isolation, and the lack physical connection. By fully embracing and accepting these feeling I believe that after it passes I will be better. I will be kinder, more accepting, more inclusive, more connected, more gentle and above all that I will love to a higher degree than I can now. Obviously, this is a horrible thing that is going on and if I could stop it I would in a heartbeat but since we can’t, I hope we can together take these powerful times to more deeply understanding ourselves and the world. I really believe we can grow in ways that four short weeks ago were seen as unimaginable. I have never been one to shy away from a situation I believe could make me better and I choose to see this time as something that could make all of our light shine even brighter.
It is my hope that in the next few days I can write some more posts that will more specifically help demonstrate and provide ideas on ways we can both come together to learn and grow. May this time social distance help us work on ourselves so that when we again become social, we have no reason to distance ourselves ever again.
Love Always,
Casey
P.S. if you are struggling or need a friend I am here to provide love to anyone who is feeling depleted during this time of need! Feel free to reach out via my contact page or instagram DM!
