Swan Sanctuary

Today I wish to write about love. In fact, this is a love letter to my daughters. From the moment that I became a mother, I began to learn about the truest, strongest, and forever kind of love that is not bound by time or space or distance. Maternal love is stronger than anything we know. Once established, it cannot be broken or taken from us. It persists in spite of all transgressions and withstands all adversity.

I am grateful every day for the safe homebirths that brought my daughters into my life, straight into my arms. The bonding that occurred in those first sacred hours of their lives, with me and with their father, has given them the strength to face numerous challenges. That bond is as strong today as it was then.  Like so many avian species, my daughters were pushed from the nest when it was time for them to embark on their own journeys. If you observe swans in the wild, the bond created with their offspring persists throughout their lives, whenever they reunite for short periods. The heartfelt recognition can be seen in their greeting. My daughters and I have been separated by long distances and long stretches of time, for much of their adult lives. Still, when we come back together, it is like we have never been apart. The love seems to grow stronger in spite of the intervals.

The current pandemic and implementation of social distancing has imposed further physical alienation from my daughters. My youngest daughter is stuck in Texas, waiting for the travel ban to be lifted, after which her deployment to Afghanistan will resume. My other two daughters are in Colorado and I am currently isolated in a desolate area of Wyoming.  None of us knows for sure how long this pandemic will last. We do not know if it will get worse before it gets better. The possibility exists, that I may never be with my daughter’s again. I choose to believe that it is a slim possibility, but any one of our lives could end never the less, before I can once again hug them and tell them how much I love them. We talk on the phone and text and message regularly; but I want to take this moment, this day, to dedicate this blog to them. Today I want my daughters to know that they are beautiful and amazing and I am so grateful for having had the privilege of being their mother. Rachelle, Rebecca, Andrea – I LOVE YOU.

I saw a Facebook post this morning where someone said that 79,884 people had recovered from the Coronavirus. How refreshing it was to see that someone is focusing on the good in this situation, rather than continually being spoon fed bad news by the media. The death toll worldwide is reaching 20,000, but that is not even close to 1% of the world’s population.  Nature is continually sending us floods, tornados, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes; and yet the human population continues to rise. Simultaneously, other species are disappearing from the planet every day due to habitat loss, poaching, and outright eradication. We may lose 1 % of our own species, but many species still hang on the precipice, having lost 90% or more of their own kind.

Are you helplessly hungering for more bad news to defend your fears, or are you seeking to look for the silver lining behind this cloud that has settled over our human population? The truth is that most of us have merely been inconvenienced and very few of us have actually and truly suffered. There has been suffering all around us of other species, because of us. There has been suffering of our own kind while many have chosen not to see. The wealthy sit in their cushy modern office buildings and their million dollar mansions eating the finest food and living luxurious lives; turning a blind eye to the homeless and the hungry, and to the hopeless despair of so many thousands. Many lives were lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Millions of people have suffered and died through genocide, hatred, and war. Many animals and birds have suffered slow deaths in traps and from lead poisoning and electrocution because of our human encroachment.  A lot of lives will be lost before this is all said and done, but let’s not lose sight of those others who are suffering in equally devastating ways. We cannot bemoan those that have passed. We must look ahead and ask what we can do to alleviate suffering of all kinds in the living – for all sentient beings. You can be sure that life will go on and when this current challenge is finally behind us, will we look for the next thing to go wrong or will we make an effort to stop the suffering in the world? We can choose to look for the good. We can choose to add to the lightness and not the darkness.

I read an interview with writer Barry Lopez in the December 2019 issue of The Sun magazine. Mr. Lopez suggests that we have reached a time when the concept of the lone hero is no longer relevant in our expanding human society. He uses a flock of starlings as an example. They move in flocks as one, each coordinating its movements with those closest to it. There is no leader. We have so many examples in nature of species that live in harmony with the whole, rather than as egoic individuals with their own agenda. They understand that their survival depends on being part of the group because if they veer off alone, they are susceptible to predation. The sick or injured member is often shunned from the group because it puts the entire flock or herd at risk.

Heroism is an idea of which it is time to let go. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and all of the other super heroes cannot save us now. The human race, if it is to survive, must learn to work together as a whole. Our collective consciousness must rise above what we thought to be true. The answers that the world seeks, to our collective challenges, lie in another dimension which we can only assess from a deeper place. Those who are unwilling to loosen their iron grip on what they believe to be me, my, mine, must expect to suffer; while those who are willing to place their fellow humans,  the entire earth, and other living things above their own needs, will lead the way to a more unified and peaceful world.

It is time for humans to mature, to let go of the toddler’s sense of self. Each of us has come into the world with specific talents and a specific purpose to fulfill for the good of all. Life has never been about our own personal wants and desires as the capitalist mentality would have us believe. We were given the gift of life and it is now time for the piper to be paid.

I awoke this morning to bright sunlight and a clear blue sky. After I had stepped out of the shower, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Orange Blossom Special was playing on the radio. It was a beautiful way to begin a new day and, since it is Monday, the start of a new week. Although I find the lyrics of bluegrass music somewhat corny with its religious overtones, I love it because it is happy music. One cannot help but feel uplifted when listening to the snappy tunes of mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and banjo. The roots of bluegrass, as well as other music genres, began in remote places, where poverty was common. These people used music to lift their spirits and to overcome much adversity.

Those who are musically inclined make the world a better place for the rest of us. I have never had such an inclination, although I have often wished that I could play piano. I “flunked” music when I was in the first grade because all the talk about treble clefs and lines and spaces and notes had me completely baffled. I suspect it had more to do with the teacher and the method of teaching that prevented me from being able to grasp what it was all about, rather than my inability to learn. Since I cannot play an instrument or carry a tune, even in the shower, I am immensely grateful for the music makers of the world, who create music that I can enjoy. I am grateful to the recording studios and to the radio stations that provide the music, as well.

I have never heard a single person say that they dislike music. They may prefer certain kinds of music over others, but music has been an integral part of human life for centuries. I love the quiet. In fact, I crave quiet, which is very difficult to find in our modern world. I love listening to the birds. How fortunate they are to have not only the gift of flight, but the gift of song, too. Occasionally, I like to intersperse the quiet with music. Since I only listen to music for a few hours a day, I find that I am even more appreciative of it. I am keenly aware of how much we need and depend on one another for everything – especially for the music that we have the privilege of listening to.

I often listen to NPR in the mornings because I can receive the signal of a station that plays a wonderful music mix. Today, the announcer is broadcasting from home and has requested to hear from others who are stuck at home, as well. He said he misses his co-workers, but the upside is that he gets to be at home with his dog. Clearly, those who are outgoing and social by nature will be more challenged by the forced “stay at home” orders.

This situation can do no less than cause people to re-think their priorities. As I watch the birds outside my windows, they are going about business as usual. I watch the mother starling feeding her hatchlings at the entrance to the small hole, in the tree where she has made her nest. The male patrols from the outer branches to keep intruders away. Other species know intuitively that their only priorities are survival and successfully raising their young. Many human beings have allowed their egos to have control over their lives, but challenges like we are now facing tend to make us stop and consider what is most important to us. This pandemic is creating the opportunity for many to hush the loud rantings of their ego so that they can hear the quiet whisperings of their heart.

If you are confined at home, this is your opportunity to look for the good in your situation. We can be grateful if we remain healthy while so many have been infected by the virus. We can be grateful if we have a roof over our head and if we have food for today. We must not worry about tomorrow, but be thankful for what we have now. The little things are what truly matter. And all of those little things added up together make up a big and wonderful life, in spite of the outer appearance. Watch the birds and see how they just keep on keeping on, regardless of what confronts them. We should do the same. Our priorities can change and we can re-purpose ourselves if we are guided to do so. We can see this crack in the fabric of our lives and know the light will get in.

Here is what is bothering me about this whole Covid-19 pandemic. I have stressed for years, the importance of routinely opening windows in order to let out stale air and bring in fresh air. We are constantly being reminded by news media to wash our hands, but I have not heard a single one of them suggest airing out our homes and work places. Isn’t this a no-brainer? Certainly, most public places don’t even have windows that can be closed and opened. It has been known that hospitals especially, are a virtual breeding ground for illnesses. If you go to visit someone in a hospital, don’t be surprised if you get sick within a matter of days. Or, if you go into the hospital for one illness, or for surgery, you may come out with an added illness, or two. Hospitals, restaurants, hotels and large office buildings, are only a few examples of structures with windows that do not open. Presumably, they are built this way for safety, but shouldn’t the safety of our health be of utmost importance?

Even in the small town where I am living, grocery store shelves are suddenly bare. Instead of running out of toilet paper, that we all need, why can’t they run out of cigarettes? Frankly, I am sick and tired of having to walk through a cloud of smoke to get inside one of only two stores that I do my shopping in. Nearly every time I need to go in there, the employee is standing directly in front of the doors taking his or her cigarette break. We have banned cigarettes from most public buildings, but it is time to take this a step further and ban them altogether, because what should be fresh air is already poisoned from so many car fumes, without the further insult of vile cigarette smoke. I truly have zero tolerance for this infringement on my right to breathe fresh air.

I cannot help but wonder if the huge medical machine is somehow behind this mess. As more and more people become sick, their profits will continue to rise. Could it be that this big super power feels threatened by those who are practicing better nutrition, eating only organic, and seeking out alternative modalities of healing? Was this virus released on the public on purpose, to further their own interests? And while we are so distracted by the pandemic and so caught up in the fear with our attention being on how we are personally affected, are we not the perfect target for a still more menacing threat, like a nuclear attack? I no longer trust our government. I will; however, do the practical things – the obvious things – beyond simply washing my hands. I will open my windows often, walk out in the fresh air when I can, and continue to be a conduit of love, rather than fear.

Green is the color of my true love’s leaves; for every forest, every flower is truly loved by me. Green is the color of the salads that sustain me. Green is the color of the plant life, on which our mammalian lives depend. Green is abundance. Green is wealth and prosperity and affluence. Green is a color that I could not live without.

When we are surrounded in shades of green, we are restful and more peaceful. Green is a symbol of vibrant health, renewal, and well-being. Green is harmonious and seeks balance. But, as with all things, even this rich, beautiful color has its opposite side. People have been seen as being green with envy and it can also imply greed or disgust.

The origins of wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day was to make one invisible to the mischievous leprechauns because it was believed that they liked to pinch people. Most people no longer believe in leprechauns, dismissing them as a purely mythical creature; however, the tradition continues. In light of Coronavirus, we are to practice social distancing; so it is improbable that you will be pinched today whether you wear green, or not. I will wear green because it is one of my favorite colors and because it is a symbol of health and most importantly, it is the promise of spring.

In this world of opposites we have dark and light, day and night, winter and summer, enemy and ally. Human beings seemingly have an infinite number of emotions, but according to psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, there are actually only two emotions – love and fear. All of our negative emotions can be summed up as fear. She further relates that, “we cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time.” Some people may argue that hate is the opposite of love, but hate is merely a byproduct of fear. It is fear that fuels the hate.

In the bible text that is revered worldwide, it is written in Job 3:25, “For the thing which I have most feared has come upon me.” I figured out many years ago that those things I was most afraid of, is exactly what happened to me. Whether we are aware of this fact or not, if we entertain thoughts about anything, that is what we manifest in our lives. As Dale Carnegie put it, “Fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.”

Would you be afraid of the Corona virus if you knew absolutely nothing about it? It is the job of the media to create fear and then to continue feeding that fear so that it grows into panic. The media has poisoned the collective consciousness, inserting fear and growing it out of all proportion. The dread and hysteria has spread across the globe. The only thing that can cast out this overgrown fear is perfect love. The only thing that is greater than fear is love. If we focus on love rather than fear, this unprecedented pandemic will disappear; as when we shine a light into the darkness. Are you helping to keep the fear alive? Are you feeding the fear and aiding its ability to thrive? It is imperative that we now turn our collective consciousness to love. We must love with all our might. Let’s turn away from the fear and watch love grow.

I wish to state at the outright that I am not a Democrat. I am registered as an Independent. I have followed the Democratic debates because I believe as many do, that our country is facing grave danger in the form of Donald Trump. The impeachment process was thwarted making it imperative that we elect someone truly capable, and who can beat him in the upcoming election. There were so many candidates during the first debates that it was challenging to eliminate those who appeared to be less qualified. After a couple of months several of them began dropping out of the race. I still held great hope for Marianne Williamson, Tom Steyer, and Andrew Lang. Steyer was the only one who saw clearly that global warming is the biggest challenge facing not only our nation, but the entire world. Now we are down to only three candidates, but the third one has been glossed over and swept off into the corner where most people do not realize that she is still in the race. I am speaking of Tulsi Gabbard. When Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race, we were seemingly left with two old, white, men as our only remaining options.

I am here to tell you that we still have a woman who has not backed down. She is a combat veteran who has a clear understanding of foreign policy. She is young. She is intelligent. She is spiritual. She is more than qualified to serve as our next president. I invite you to listen to this short interview that she did with Fox News: https://youtu.be/0aJM8mEZDgI – and decide for yourself. You can also check out her website: https://www.tulsi2020.com.

It was my generation that made women’s liberation monumental. We still, unfortunately, have a long way to go. How much longer will we allow men to dictate what we can and cannot do? Women, we are strong. The only thing holding us back is our unwillingness to support one another. Let’s come together. Let’s get behind Tulsi and support her campaign. Let’s not allow the men to win, yet again.