Practicing the Pause

 

Thoughts to ponder regarding our current times…pause

During this year, many people have experienced a lot of hardships with loss of family and friends, jobs, and financial issues as a result of COVID.  Emotions are high now as people undergo anxiety and depression, not understanding why or how to deal with the ever-changing landscape of our world. Stories on the news are making it difficult to stay positive when the focus is on everything from COVID19’s increasing numbers, and the devastation of storms such as the recent 400-mile-wide hurricane “Laura.” 

What do you do during a time when everywhere you turn something chips away at the soul?  I pondered this thought as I was sipping coffee, looking at the beautiful blue sky with vibrant white clouds on an early Saturday morning.  The answer is simple; stop and pause, breathe, and think of the positives that always show up amidst tough times.

While heading out to run errands, I have noticed more families in the neighborhood that are walking and biking together.  Life is not so busy anymore running to and from events, and families are focusing on the essentials.  Families are sitting down and playing board games together, cards, and watching movies (even re-runs) while spending quality time together.  Moreover, due to many church closures, there are more virtual church events occurring, drawing more people into their faith. 

What is different, I asked?  People are practicing the pause, they are reflecting on what is important, and balance is being found.  Some are still struggling, of course, but many are finding a life/balance that I had not seen since my childhood days when we didn’t have cell phones, Atari video games were just introduced, and the typical day for a child was playing outside and spending time with family and friends.

I encourage those of you reading this, if you are experiencing anxiety and depression due to the current state of our world, pause and focus on gratitude.  Take the time on a nice day to sit outside, with your beverage of choice and ponder the positives that have occurred since the beginning of 2020; you may be surprised at what you discover!