Things Fall Apart. I have been re-reading two books with these words in the title – my dog-eared copy of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart that I read as a young girl in Kenya and Pema Chodron’s book of wisdom When Things Fall Apart. Both books remind me that suffering has always been and will always be; which allows me to reflect on the vulnerability and tenderness of life, and guides me to connect in authentic ways with the suffering of others. How do we collectively work through our arrogance that we can always access pleasure and escape pain? How do we undo the notion that others are responsible for our collective suffering? How do we collectively unlearn our desire to hide from the anguish of other sentient beings?
Human service organizations, social justice activists, and frontline workers are demonstrating the meaning of loving kindness and courage during this time of emotional contagion. They are carrying our collective suffering like mythical cranes, as they have done every single day and across boundaries. Embodying calm amidst panic can be stressful on individuals and organizations. Mary Ann Proulx, who manages our local Street Outreach Van program, speaks of individuals who are wandering our streets with no access to homes and with limited sources for community meals. Homelessness denies access to even the most basic needs. “Where does one socially isolate when you don’t have a home?” “Where does one access a washroom when all public spaces are closed?” Mary Ann reflects on the critical gaps that the van is bridging at this time. As more people use emergency services, the generosity and creativity of frontline teams are also tested. Across the world in Delhi, at the Naz Care Home for children living with HIV, the donations have fallen dramatically this year as people struggle to make ends meet. It has been challenging to keep the children nourished in body and spirit. Yet, Kalyani Subramaniam, the Chief Operating Officer at Naz, shares heroic stories of continued service. Kalyani shone a light on the mentoring and collective resolve of the care home.
As an instructor at a community college, I spend a lot of time with students and often reflect on the curriculum we offer to the budding heroes in our classrooms. Many students struggle with poverty, poor mental health, and numerous life stressors. How do we nurture the inner world of these young warriors so that they remain strong for themselves and others on the frontlines? How do we create institutional reserves of wellness? How do we integrate and institutionalize a DNA of resilience, wisdom, and discernment rather than chasing a meteor of theories, fostering a Gradgrindian devotion to outputs, and celebrating empire-building at any cost? We need to disrupt the cultural notion that taking care of our inner world is an indulgence that we occasionally practice. We need to internalize that tending carefully to our internal landscape is crucial to nurturing our ethical and emotional intelligence. We need practical tools and training that embody wellness at all levels of our institutions so that we can see, hold and work through suffering every single day. Suffering is around us on a daily basis and we need to cultivate strategies of wellness as a foundational practice. We often speak of self-care in human service work, but do we teach specific skills, model this behaviour, and assess our institutional competence in this area?
Reading Audre Lorde’s The Cancer Journals, I once again came across this quote: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” In the current global context, this is an important reminder to nurture our fragile hearts and minds.
Sādhana, mīmāṃsā, and pratipaksha bhavana are Sanskrit words embedded in the ancient yoga sūtras. Loosely translated to mean deepening practice, critical reflection, and cognitive reframing, these words have shaped my experience when things have fallen apart. A deepening of simple rituals, daily encounters with yoga, and spending time walking with Zevie dog in forest trails have helped me regulate my wellbeing. I have intentionally turned my attention towards the work of those who are healing us towards thoughtful action.
As we prepare to step out of a world frozen in time, I would love to hear your soulful thoughts that might help us take action to heal our planet with tenderness and strength. If you choose to learn more about the work of the Street Outreach Van in York Region, click here: https://www.torontocentralhealthline.ca/displayservice.aspx?id=132003
If you choose to learn more about the Naz Foundation (India), follow their twitter link here:
https://twitter.com/Naz_Foundation
My friend Beth Jordan has curated a video blog called Amplify to hold space for our powerful ideas. Here is a link to some ponderings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_RsxUDu8k&t=1s