So many jokes and cartoons and videos come to me during this coronavirus period. They bring comic relief to this time of the coronavirus pandemic where it is hard to find comedy. However, the connections to friends and family the texts and emails bring are so welcome. I do not care how silly or ridiculous any of the “forwards” are, they are a break from coronavirus seriousness and anxiety all the time.
In the midst of this crazy but historic period in our lives, once in a while something thought provoking is forwarded to me. I get quotes from poets and literary figures, long deceased or still alive. I crave these as a sign of sanity and recollection of a calmer time.
Yesterday, I received a text forward from a friend that was not only beautiful but also thought provoking. I read it several times. I wanted to share it in this blog post to preserve it, and contacted the friend for permission to post it. He said he did not write it, but it was sent to him. So, per his request, I am adding the disclaimer he requested: the following was forwarded to him by a friend, composed by an unknown author.
The official COVID-19 lockdown started March 23 and will likely start to peak around May 1st. That is EXACTLY 40 days.
The Latin root of the word “quarantine” is “forty”. So, what does the Bible say about 40?
The flood lasted 40 days.
40 years Moses fled Egypt.
40 days Moses stayed on Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments.
Exodus lasted 40 years.
40 days for a woman to rest after giving birth.
Optimum number of weeks for human gestation is 40.
A group of theologians thinks the number 40 represents “change”. It is the time of preparing a person, or people, to make a fundamental change.
Something will happen after these 40 days. Remember, whenever the number 40 appears in the Bible, there is a “change”.
Please know that during this “quarantine” rivers are cleaning up, vegetation is growing, the air is becoming cleaner because of less pollution, there is less theft and murder. Healing of our earth is happening, families are getting more in touch and connected, better appreciating loved ones and what they have, and most importantly, people are turning to their faith. The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming.
Remember we are in the year 2020, and 20 + 20 = 40.
Lastly, 2020 is perfect vision. May our sight focus on the Lord and living according to his perfect vision for us knowing he holds us in the palm of his hand.
May these days of “quarantine” bring spiritual renewal to our souls, our nation, and our world.
That’s what we really need.
When I videotaped each of our grandchildren to preserve this time in history for each of them (see last post), I told them that we can look at this historic time as difficult, a problem, or awful, or, alternatively, as an adventure. I asked each of them how the corona virus pandemic is an adventure to them. Whether one is religious and believes in a higher power or not, the above saying clearly shows we are in a time of adventure.
We, as humans, have difficulty with change. We get on our “treadmill” of life and just go. The pandemic has made each of us stop in our tracks. We have TIME, time to reflect, time to see, time to notice everything around us. In quarantine, we are with those closest to us. Yes, sometimes that too is difficult, but time allows us appreciation and gratitude for what we have.
This pandemic has not only made us humans have to stop in our tracks, but it has opened the world up to nature and its beauty. I love the photographs of the wild animals around the world rediscovering the cities and reclaiming the roads that are absent of humans.
By having to stop the merry-go-round of life we were all on, the world has time to rest. I love the photographs of nature healing, the skies blue, and the waters clear.
Change is hard, and we humans are in a period of hardship. In yoga, we say that we should not muscle into the poses but allow the body to breathe into the openness. How profound is the above anonymous saying. Let us breathe the cleaner air, appreciate the renewed nature around us, and be open to the bigger meaning, the bigger gifts of this time.
The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming.
Who knows what the future will really bring as a result of this fundamental change brought upon us by the coronavirus pandemic. I always remember my Holocaust survivor Mother saying, “Man plans, and God laughs.”
The full saying is interpreted as, “Life is unpredictable, and unexpected changes will inevitably occur. “Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht” is an old Yiddish adage meaning, “Man Plans, and God Laughs.” Despite our most careful planning, the Road of Life is unpredictable.” To learn more, read, “Man Plans, and God Laughs,” further explained by Dr. Saul Levine, in Psychology Today, February 26, 2016.
Maybe we humans must come to a stop now to laugh later.
There is a quote some attribute to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It is the not the destination that is important, it is the journey.” He also is attributed to have said:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time
Think of this. What will we learn and experience about this time and the place we thought we know. . .
I do not know whether or not what is happening is a spiritual wonder or just a pandemic overtaking and stopping those of us in this world at this moment, which we must overcome and survive. As I explored with our precious grandchildren, let us think of this pandemic as an adventure, and ponder how to retain the beauty of nature, retain appreciation and gratitude for love and family and helping others in a united world, and for HOPE with
Joy,
Mema
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