“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies
within us.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
First of all, Happy Holidays! I hope that you are enjoying these precious days that
seem to come around with greater frequency as I grow older.
We are at the time of year when we think about Emerson’s quote—we look back at the
past and we anticipate a new year. We know what lies behind us. We remember the dark
days of spring 2020, adjusting to the realities of the COVID pandemic. And, of course,
it is not over yet. We do have some new vaccines and medications to fight it better.
Doctors attending to hospitalized patients have learned what works best in treatment
methodologies. But, still, in plain English, it is getting old.
The ongoing concern is that it seems to come wave after wave: first the surge of the
Delta variant and now the new Omicron variant. These surges and the related news reports
have caused some people to tighten, or return to, restrictions on their lives. It
is hard to do this during a holiday season when we cherish socializing and staying
physically and mentally active. Yet, we have to protect ourselves and take proper
precautions. Mental health experts remind us that for many of us holidays are not
of the Currier and Ives variety. Many around us are hurting. This is a good time
to hone our emotional intelligence and be sensitive to others.
Another famous quote, this from Carl Jung, which I paraphrase, is that we should always
do the next thing that needs to be done, and thereby go safely and sure-footedly along
the path. So, we move on, trying to do the next thing that needs to be done. Learning
as we go.
Oh, and one more thing: let’s all be nice to one another.
