COV-19 Reflections: The breakdowns & the breakthroughs
As I mentioned in my Calling in the Change post, 2021 the year of five, represents innovation, systems being dismantled and living with uncertainty as these new ideals are taking shape. Here we are 12-months post the World Health Organization declaring the COV-19 outbreak a pandemic, re-adjusting and finding resolve to the myriad of veils 2020 exposed, especially the racial disparities and inequities that exist in black and brown communities. As I am writing this post, we are witnessing the British Royal monarchy being called out by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for their implicit bias, racism and lack of emotional empathy all in honor of the centuries old royal code of “The Firm.”
Comparatively, reflecting on my own 2020 journey of dealing with loss and change, it was around this time last year that something inside of me was churning, I felt half full and spiritually challenged. When COV-19 was declared a pandemic, it felt like we were living through an apocalypse of sorts, not through our televisions or on the big screen, but life was imitating art and the world was operating at a deficit figuring out where do we go from here.
In looking back, on my own experience with racial and gender disparities, my heart was broken more times than I can count and I recall saying to my loved-one’s “I did not I have the energy or strength to keep saying I am sorry for your loss.” As the 2020 veil continued to get pulled back, COV-19 took a major toll on black lives, especially the innumerable number of black men whose loss their lives not just through COV-19 but racial violence.
The other side of the pandemic loss for me, was getting real about the direct effect it had on my business and the lack of COV-19 relief that was available to black women owed businesses like mine.
Yet through it all, I had my good and bad days, but the light inside never dimmed, and it challenged me to pull my strength and resilience from a place I had long forgotten, that helped me survive the death of my mother some years ago. I created a healing space that transformed my grief into grace and a newfound sacred connection to myself. A sacred connection that gave me stillness and allowed my brain to slow down and create, to expand my vision and intend the life and the work I am ready to do. I often speak about how meditation changed my life, it actually saved me - it re-wired my brain to think differently, not take things so personal, get over my martyrdom and trust my new leap of faith. It restored me, re-conditioned my thinking, instilled self compassion, energized my power grid, increased my value and re-defined my purpose.
The most important gift 2020 and being on lockdown gave me was the ability to be present. I now know what it means to be a generous listener, a better partner, a better sister, a better auntie, a better niece, a better friend, a better advocate and a better contributor to world and the universe.
As we are living and breathing one-year post COV-19 being declared a pandemic and living in isolation, I encourage you to take a moment and acknowledge your survival, your health, your emotional availability, your evolution, and the courage it took to get through these last 365 days one moment at time.
Join me on my personal journey @g.therese and feel free to share your comments, reactions and stories.
