This morning, my brother John, who lives in Anchorage and used to live in Nome, sent his many siblings an inspiring 2012 article (updated 2016) about a friend of his (married to John’s wife’s sister) who I remember seeing, and being in awe of, during John’s daughter Hannah’s  2017 wedding. I found myself devouring it. What a perfect kick-in-the-pants for those of us who still tend to feel sorry for ourselves during this seemingly endless, timeless quarantine timeout/reset period during which I realized, the other day, that I needed to do laundry again. “What? But it’s been only three days!” Nope. it had been eight days.

How did I know? I ran out of underpants.

Life’s Good for Alaskan Who Lost Face in Grizzly Bear Attack

A number of inspiring sites now present a time-honored essay from Clarissa Pinkola Esta, offering the soul’s context for discovery of who we really are. As I keep reminding myself and others, “Don’t forget, on a soul level, you signed up for this.”

We Were Made for These Times

Here in Bloomington, Indiana, besides all the stepped up cooperation to make sure everyone gets fed,  there are people out walking in nature or on paths, greeting, nodding, saying hi to everyone they pass by. The energy among us is palpably alive, ensouled. We are lifting each other’s spirits.

Each day now, when I read the local Bloomington Indiana Herald-Times, there’s at least one story I’m eager to devour. Today, two of them.

Letter to the Editor, by Alexandra Lynch

Notice that lately people are nicer to one another?

Like the fellow behind a lady in Kroger line who heard her say, “I couldn’t find eggs,” and he handed her his box of eggs.

People talk to one another more — certainly by phone but also face to fac — at a distance. We’re all in this together. With just a few peoople driving,k guess what? Less gas used, quieter, less pollution.

All told, let’s count our blessings.

Commentary from the H-T Editor, Rich Jackson:

Excerpt:

As the Herald-Times moved from reacting to looking forward, we added a feature called “Kindness in Crisis” because the worst times inevitably bring out the best in us. . .

Stay aware of the smiles you’re getting now that you didn’t used to get.

Think about how we might apply this post-virus.

Our fellow Americans are not our enemies.

______

Early this silent morning, lying in bed, I heard an owl just outside. Sounded like this:

Great Horned Owl! What a perfect symbol for this sacred time of facing and embracing the more shadowy parts of the self, of relationship, community, nation, world. YES.

Let us wake up. It’s time.