Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ….get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed. ― Abraham Joshua Heschel
The calendar page reads February 27, 2021, in the ‘during times’ of COVID 19, financial downturn for many, loss of loved ones, societal unrest off the charts, and in this country, the on-going sickening saga of a former president who continues to spout the Big Lie that he was cheated out of an election victory that he fervently believed he was entitled to win, well, because….he learned throughout his life that he should have whatever he desired no matter the cost.
The cost was dear. It stirred chaos and distrust in our electoral process. It fueled the fire of hatred that pre-dated the man’s entrance onto the political stage, but he took delight in watching the fire burn and adding tinder to the conflagration. Even as I type these words, his followers are attending the CPAC shindig in Orlando, Florida, bowing in reverence to the deity they imagine him to be. A garish symbol of their fealty is a 6-foot tall statue cast in gold-hued fiberglass, decked out in a suit jacket, shorts bedecked in the style of Old Glory, and flip flops. When I saw it wheeled through the halls of the building where the event is being held, I had simultaneous thoughts and waves of emotion. Some language is too profane to share here, but suffice it to say, I was appalled but not surprised how far into Bizarro Land some who adore him have traveled. Those who call themselves patriots should be dismayed at using the flag for garments. Those who call themselves Christians should be rejecting rather than applauding their own version of worshipping a Golden calf. Ted Cruz who last week was outed for hightailing it out of his beleaguered state of Texas during a devastating deep freeze for the warmer climes of Cancun was off the rails on stage as he justified the last four years and projected taking back the losses in the upcoming elections.
Last week we crossed the heretofore unfathomable threshold of 500,00 deaths due to the voracious virus. Today, the number stands at 508,367. Enough loss of life for you, those who call it a hoax and who refuse to adhere to safety protocols since it cramps their lifestyle? I hold accountable the man who insisted it was overblown, who refused to wear a mask, thus inspiring his devotees to doff them as well, who held, with glee, superspreader events. My heart is with all those who lost loved ones, and who came to the precipice themselves.
As a journalist, I have platforms on which to share my thoughts. I have lost myself at times, in despair over the state of the world. I have tossed and turned and ruminated. I have prayed and envisioned a better world for all of us to live in. I have expressed gratitude throughout each day. I have spent time with loved ones in person (my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson as I am one of his caregivers, along with her parents and sister) or via technology to remain connected with the world outside the door of my haven-home. I find myself gazing around the rooms I am in and remember them filled with family and friends at gatherings I held in ‘the before times’.
I am radically amazed at the growth of my one-year-old grandson who can now reach the counter and pull stuff down, and clamber up on the couch unassisted. He dances and sings, claps his hands, waves and blows kisses, ‘reads’ out loud, and laughs in what I call ‘cackle-snort’. He’s my joy boy!
I am radically amazed listening to music as it delights me at all hours. At the moment, I am listening to Sleepy Hollow, which is my favorite show on Philly-based station WXPN. At other times, the tunes performed by talented friends tickle my ears.
I am radically amazed at the opportunities that come my way consistently to write and teach and offer counseling from the comfort of my own home.
I am radically amazed at the Muse who guides me with words of inspiration.
I am radically amazed at having received both doses of the Moderna vaccine, with no side effects. I see myself as a thread in the comforter that weaves us all together so that there will soon be a time when it will be safe to gather in the ‘after times’.
I am radically amazed at the enduring bonds between people who haven’t seen each other in nearly a year, separated physically but joined at the heart.
I am radically amazed at new friends who enter my life regularly.
I am radically amazed at the resilience of those who have said goodbye to livelihoods as their businesses closed, but are starting a new chapter.
I am radically amazed at the ways in which people have come together to help each other through troubled times.
I am radically amazed that our country now has a new administration that is attempting to undo the damage cast on the country in the past four years.
I am radically amazed at how I have evolved in the past year, feeling empowered to re-create my life.
These are my daily marching orders. How do you live your life in radical amazement?
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This post is republished on Medium.
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