Feeling the Web of Our Connections

Kaua‘i’s Schiedea lychnoides. Photo by Ken Wood/NTBG

By Virginia Beck

The shocking realities of our island has altered. The world, our social relations are turned upside down. We all shelter in place, elders especially. Reminds me of mother telling us as kids, “Go to your room and don’t come out until you are civilized.” Behave nicely together.

Is that what the whole world is doing now?

We’ve all been sent to our rooms to reflect on our behavior and how we treat others. To grow a bigger heart and understand the suffering. Share more. Reach out in the ways we can.

How do we reach across the distance to uplift or damage?

The internet can be the vibrating heart of the universe, Indra’s net, holding us all safely. Sharing positive feelings, ideas, Love. Or it can be a sticky trap of wasted energy, going nowhere but into the death spiral that leads to the black hole of separation, despair, damage, violence, destruction, especially to ourselves.

What will these quaking vibrations do? Strengthen or immobilize us?

I am enjoying increased distant visits with friends and neighbors. All of us home. How we all want to help. How sharing banana bread or frozen pizzas, getting groceries for each other and swapping recipes, hacks, directions for making masks and cookies, all the currency of love.

I want to send messages of hope, and love, and courage to my neighbors. Shall I put signs on my house? Yes?

Signs on my car? Yes? We are stronger together, safer at home.

Make mooncakes for these women for the full moon. How will they be sharable?

How can the love and peace and wellbeing flowing through us now be shared?

Invent a multimedia Moon card. Oh yes, for kids as well. And it should have music. A mooncake book melding Asian and European. Myths about the bunnies and the rabbit on the moon.

And the Apple song, “An apple is a gift of the heart”. These ideas enter the flow unbidden.

My breathing is soft, and I hear the gentle music of the wind, and birds chirping in the trees, and the muffled sweet, soft snore of the old dog beside me. The sounds of my husband after his yoga, the heavy rollers of glass doors opening to the deck. And we are all here. Together and apart.

Who knows what is needed now? We each share a spark of life force, which burns locally for who knows how long? Only this moment, cherishing life in this moment. Giving unconditional love to all, especially ourselves.

Given a time of quiet. Sent to our rooms until we become civilized. In a way that allows us to live together, sharing, not taking more than we need, ensuring that others get enough for their lives to prosper, that children are cared for, protected, not frightened into stifling their life force into scared little specks, but showered with love, appreciation and respect. What we want for ourselves we want for all.

Gratitude for the privilege of a life. Grateful to be on Kaua‘i, together.

Sent to our rooms, until we recognize the bliss in each of our hearts, and the ability to perceive and respect it in others.

We have been blind to ourselves. How could we see others? We will all see more clearly when we are together. Until we are all one, we will be alone.

• Virginia Beck, NP and Certified Trager® Practitioner, offers Wellness Consultation, Trager Psychophysical Integration and teaches Malama Birth Training classes. She can be reached at 635-5618.