A New Beginning

“The beginning is always today.” – Mary Shelley

 

2022 is here and with it comes a new beginning….yet it is a different beginning than others. This one feels a bit like gingerly dipping the toe into the waters instead of jumping straight in, feet first, as trepidation and the trauma of the last couple of years have brought about a much more exhausted anticipation.

The world is definitely not the same as it was a year ago, and nothing like it was two years ago.

There’s a weariness of the soul that marks most, a skittering away of the eyes afraid to make contact in case it leads to….something exhausting.

A fight over choices.

A fear over health.

A haunted look that says they can’t take much more.

Of course, most of us can hide it well, be polite, nod and smile, and be on our way….just don’t scratch the surface. Don’t dig too deep. Don’t tip me over or it’ll all spill out.

The fear. The loneliness. The shock of what the world is rapidly deteriorating into.

The grief.

The overwhelming grief of what’s been lost as a country, as a society, as a world.

“What’s next?” seems to be the question everyone wants to know and nobody wants to ask. Things can’t possibly go on the way things are.

The end is near.

It has to be.

At least, that’s what so many say in a plethora of ways, from the rapture, to aliens, to world wars, to an actual cataclysmic plague.

Something’s gotta give. There’s no way things can keep going like this.

And who would want them to?

Of course, you have your naysayers that say the world is about to get a hella lot worse, major dystopia, gonna make the nazis look like girl scouts.

And you have others who say it’s about to get a hecka lot better.

But between those very loud things, are the masses of people shellshocked, with their eyes tightly closed, their fists clenched tight, bracing themselves for whatever could possibly hit them next…not knowing if it’ll be what drags them under at last.

As a people, we are so resilient. We can make it through unimaginable grief, and somehow find a way to use it as a brick in the rebuilding of others. Our capacity to forgive, and our depth of love, respect, and loyalty, are unrivaled.

Don’t confuse people with mobs….mobs are idiots. Mobs cease to be people and just go with whatever. They’re stupid.

People, on the other hand, are absolutely amazing and awe-inspiring.

Not perfect.

But amazing nonetheless.

Sometimes….and probably a lot more often than that these days, people have a bristly outer shell. Their actions/words are aimed at keeping people away. They’re exhausted from being hurt so many times in their lives, and they’ve found a way to hurt others before getting hurt. It’s a defense mechanism that many have perfected so well.

We tend to call them jerks…or worse.

Generally though, if you can survive the barbs and poison and break through the barriers, you find someone in pain that just needs to be listened to, seen, loved, and reminded of who they really are…which isn’t the asshole facade they display.

Of course, you have some that are so poisoned by their own venom and they’re too far down the path of their choosing that they don’t see anything wrong with, that no attempt from you or anyone else can reach them. Narcissists come to mind.

And then you have those that are just evil. They’re in a category all to itself.

But regular people, regular humans, we’re an incredible lot.

The earth groans from the grief of the people. The war that’s being raged, even unbeknownst to billions, is still evident in the eyes of the masses. We’re tired of the pain, the suffering, the struggle, the illnesses, the death, the grief, of never feeling like you can get enough rest, even when you’re sleeping plenty.

So as this new year starts, and already echoes more strongly the last two years of grief and exhaustion, I wonder…what is this the beginning of? Can we hold on? The pain is almost unbearable some days. The grief of a dying planet and its people buckling under the duress and oppression of the darkness….is there any hope?

There is always hope.

Always, always, always.

It’s always darkest before dawn and the light is always stronger than the dark! I don’t mean for that to sound pithy or flippant, but it IS that simple because it IS the truth.

The light wins.

It is stronger than the dark.

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” – Francis of Assisi

Every person who has a shred of hope left inside them that things will get better is the bearer of that light. Some burn hot with it and are amazing lightworkers and shine that light far. Others need help to unearth their light as it’s been buried under too much pain and trauma. But we all have light inside us, and the more we embrace that, the bigger the light gets.

So take the chance; risk a little. Let your light burn a little brighter in your heart. Dare to dream that there IS something better about to happen. Believe it. KNOW it. Watch your light get brighter.

There is something new about to begin, and we are all a part of it. Let your light shine bright in your heart. Wrap yourself in all-encompassing love and then send that out to those around you, wherever you are; home/work/school, it doesn’t matter. What matters is just sharing that light so it gets brighter and brighter til the whole world glows.

You are such a gift. You’re an amazing person. You are loved more than you can possibly fathom. Never forget it.

Lots of love and light to you all!

Let’s glow!