As most readers of this blog already know, I am preparing to retire in about eleven months. As part of that preparation process I belong to a clergy group made up of folks facing that same life passage. We meet once a month and share prayer, a bit of meditation, readings about retirement, and discussion around a variety of related issues.
This week our facilitator asked us to think about what author Larry Smith calls Six Word Memories. How would we describe this past Covid year in just six words? It was a bit of a challenge, but I finally came up with this: "Who knew how much was hidden?"
Over the course of the year Covid19 exposed so much! So many things were revealed in my personal life, in the life of my congregation, and in the wider world. Good things, and challenges. Things that had been there all along, but were only uncovered when so much was stripped away by the pandemic. On a large scale, we saw how climate change became more real, as the environment got a breather during the lockdown. We were reminded of the inequities in society as people struggled with economic hardship. We were forced to admit that some of the most essential jobs were and are some of the least financially regarding jobs. We saw how racial matters have not all been resolved. And on and on.
Our congregation discovered holes in our technology, and the need to integrate more of it into our work. We also discovered that certain folks are always willing to step up--no matter what's going on!
On a more personal level, I was shown just how vital to my life my wife is as she was forced by quarantines and so on to stay in New York for three months. I recognized that as much as I love my work, it would be okay to finally consider retirement and make plans for it. And so much more. It has indeed, been apocalyptic!
Who knew how much was hidden?
No comments:
Post a Comment