Here we are settling in to our new realities of Social/Physical-Distancing, Self-Isolation, etc.…left only with Family, Nature, Self.  The world screeched to a halt, and we are each frozen in time, sitting here holding only the cards we had in our hands at the time of this virus.

I look down at the cards I am holding; my little world inside the snow globe. My house, my yard, my kids, my husband, my parents, my yoga, my meditation practice: I like these things. I am one of the lucky ones. I’ve got a good hand.

But I know there are many out there who are cursing their shitty cards and begging for a re-deal right now.  

This crisis has gifted us with the time to sit with what we have and be grateful.  

And it has also gifted us with a pause to reassess what needs adjusted in our lives.

No matter what you call it – God, Spirit, Universe – the energy is the same: LOVE.  And no matter what religion you choose to follow or not, you are a part of this interconnected web of the inhabitants of earth.  

I call this energetic connection Gaia; and I have felt her power in the trees, in the grass, in my pregnant womb, in the arms of my husband, in the winds of a storm, and the silence of a frost.  She is present in the laugh of smiling babies and in the blood of dying prey.  She is present in lightning strikes and forest fires, fragrant fields and golden sunrises.  She is water and drought, famine and feast. She is balance.

With the worldwide spread of Covid-19, Gaia has thrown a punch. She has knocked humanity down and temporarily disabled us, but her blow is not fatal.  She is showing us what she’s made of. She is stronger than us arrogant humans, and she is reminding of us this fact… one that we so carelessly ignore. 

We study the mighty dinosaurs and awe at their eons-long reign, but we forget how quickly the universe took them down once they wore out their welcome.  What makes us think we are more immortal than the Terrible Lizards?

By reminding us of our fragility, Gaia is giving us an opportunity to learn and evolve.  

In her book Love Warrior, Glennon Doyle refers to the word crisis as a sifting. In other words, in a crisis you are left with only what matters, like rocks held in a sieve. 

So here’s what Gaia is requiring of each of us in this crisis of pandemic and quarantine: Look at what you have left over after the Sifting.  Do you like what you see? Are you left with Golden Nuggets or Clods of Dirt?  Will they sustain you or wear you down? Are you the person you want to be?

Look down at the earth beneath your feet with some humility. We humans are not the most powerful thing on earth; Earth itself is. In this time of pause, let us collectively reflect on our arrogance as humans. It’s time to rethink our careless behavior towards this beautiful planet that holds us and nurtures us.

This time of Sifting won’t last forever.  When it is done, we each have a chance for a new beginning. 

Hold on to your golden nuggets – the relationships that steady you and lift you, habits and practices that bring you strength, places of sanctuary, the elements of the natural world that fold back in when humanity hides away.  Let go of the clods of dirt – addictions and bad habits, people who cause you pain or make you doubt yourself, jobs or responsibilities that suck your energy, negative self-talk.

Let this crisis not be in vain. Let us learn from this gift of pause and humility.

Let us be better parents, spouses, children, neighbors, and citizens of this planet.

©Skye Nicholson 2020