By Betsy Gonwa, 
After 9/11, when the World Trade Center was attacked, firefighters risked their lives saving people, and the president ordered soldiers to go to war. When the rest of us wanted to help however we could, the president said to help the economy by shopping. And many of us did.
With COVID-19, again New York City is at risk. Again our economy is plummeting. But our president is ignoring the dying and grieving people there this time. It is not yet time to “shop” as he suggested, with his hope to have things up and running by Easter.
Regardless of what will happen next, offering support and grieving as a community, as a nation, as a planet, are what is needed. Mourning, that is.
Do I remember correctly that firefighters and paramedics came from other communities to help with 9/11? Do we not send in extra firefighters for California’s forest fires? From other cites, in other states?
It is natural to defend ourselves by attacking, by fighting, when something comes at us from the outside. It is an instinct, bred in our genes for millenia. But this age-old response of fighting, ignoring reality (mind over matter), pushing through – maintaining the status quo – is deadly in the case of COVID-19.
“You’re on your own,” our president seemed to say to New York City. So callous, the way we deal with the weakest in our society, the most vulnerable. For NYC is vulnerable, as are Chicago and Los Angeles, all of our large cities. And our elderly and infirm are vulnerable. And there seems to be no honoring of them.
What is the message for me in this?
Well, the “enemy” is not always outside of ourselves. When the enemy is a virus, or a way of thinking, it cannot be attacked or ignored or powered through. Especially when what is at risk are the most vulnerable.
In this case, our financial centers and our elders.
In my case, in my own healing journey, my presenting symptoms were my joints and my way of thinking. In both cases, what was needed was personal transformation. My way of eating was poisoning my body from the inside out. My way of thinking was poisoning my mind from the inside out. My way of eating, my way of thinking, my way of life all needed to change, from the inside out, I changed.
It seems I have digressed. My reflection is simply astonishment at the contrast of one president’s reaction to the financial center (NYC) being attacked by an enemy (airplanes) and another president’s reaction to NYC being under attack by a virus.
| 9/11 | COVID 19 |
|---|---|
| Point of Entry | |
| One point in time | insidious, many points of entry |
| Visibility | |
| Easily identified | Hidden, unseen |
| Confront | |
| Reactive, Heroic firefighters, war | Scientific “be smart” ways, medical staff, stay home |
| Community Cooperation | |
| Shop, spend money, indulge | Suffer alone, accept financial loss as a part of suffering |
I’m reading about “Right Effort,” a part of the Buddhist path. In response to “But what about the others?” the Buddha replies, “There are no others.”
That’s proven true in our world today. There are no “others.” What affects one, affects all. We are one.
Yes, Ellen, we are all connected, we are one. Thank you for sharing this.
Funny, Betsy, our hearts and minds are on the same track.
These were my thoughts of the day, today:
Thinking about my relationship with my husband and the whole coronavirus thing
What we see on the surface vs. what is happening that can’t be seen
Mom was always focused on what she saw on the surface: he was active at St. Joe’s, “good” Catholic. She set me up with him, so he must be good for me. What she didn’t see was the “virus” growing where it couldn’t be seen:
On his part: ridicule, accusations, put-downs, sexual addiction, lack of compassion and understanding,
On my part: not distancing myself from the toxicity, not “washing” myself of the “germs” that were seeping into my system (e.g. not dismissing his accusations and not believing in myself and my truth). I was “high risk” because of being an empath, so I caught the virus and it almost killed me. The people who came into my life in the last two years were the team who intubated me, and kept me going until I had the strength to live on my own again.
I was more worried about living up to the expectations of my mom based on what she saw, but did not pay attention to the dangers and risks I was putting myself at. It wasn’t until I distanced myself from my husband that I was able to heal and get stronger. Same goes for the Coronavirus: people can’t just look at what they see on the surface at the present moment and think all is well–they need to take precautions, be alert, and be safe; and if they do get sick, they need to rest alone with God to heal and get stronger again.
Love your soul sister,
Rita
Rita, I so appreciate the connections you make to your journey. So grateful to be part of the team that kept you going, and especially to know that you are well and strong now. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for this Betsy. Indeed, we – the privileged part of our nation- are grieving a rapid series of losses. When it’s over, we should consider ourselves in a period of bereavement, no matter how much “goes back to normal.”
For me compensation comes in adding on time I spend in centering prayer, praying Compline every night to bookend Morning Prayer, and diligence about house cleaning (in all the time I would have been out and about) and now yard work. Whatever comes there is a spaciousness to my days that is gift. Blessings to you and yours.
Carol, Thank you for taking the time to read and for your comment. I think I could have said a lot more about grief. That is definitely what we are going through, and it is going to go on for awhile, and if we enter into it, will result in transformation. For me, added time for stillness, quiet and prayer are also gifts during this time. Peace and blessings to you and yours, too.