Despite praying most days, having a holiday once a week, interrupting that schedule with another
week long holiday overlapping with almost two months of literally counting the days, TIME MEANS
NOTHING while sheltering in place.
week long holiday overlapping with almost two months of literally counting the days, TIME MEANS
NOTHING while sheltering in place.
I started off with denial and have occasionally set it down and then picked it back up. I maybe dusted
it once. There are books on my shelf that I took home because I KNEW I wouldn’t be going back to
school. And yet there are books in my locker that I left because I thought could get them next week.
it once. There are books on my shelf that I took home because I KNEW I wouldn’t be going back to
school. And yet there are books in my locker that I left because I thought could get them next week.
Right at the beginning of our sheltering, I hurt my foot and my house became my everything. I
couldn’t really have left it if there wasn’t a plague outside (but I would have tried). It was probably
good for me that I could stay home. I certainly wasn't able to jump up from the couch let alone walk
to the train, down the stairs up the stairs stand on the train, etc.
couldn’t really have left it if there wasn’t a plague outside (but I would have tried). It was probably
good for me that I could stay home. I certainly wasn't able to jump up from the couch let alone walk
to the train, down the stairs up the stairs stand on the train, etc.
They say that this virus jumped to us from the noble creature we call a bat. It’s not the first nor the
last zooo-fancylatinandgreekscienceword virus that has pole vaulted into our misery. Bird Flu but
not swine flu I believe was a zoo flu.
last zooo-fancylatinandgreekscienceword virus that has pole vaulted into our misery. Bird Flu but
not swine flu I believe was a zoo flu.
When I pray it’s either structured or spontaneous. As my foot trapped me I also developed a new to
me allergy symptom which felt like a dry cough...in the middle of an upper respiratory plague. I
prayed not to leave my fiance and my parents. I bargained that if only these things were better, I'd be ok. I won't be making it through all five stages of grief, at least not any time soon.
me allergy symptom which felt like a dry cough...in the middle of an upper respiratory plague. I
prayed not to leave my fiance and my parents. I bargained that if only these things were better, I'd be ok. I won't be making it through all five stages of grief, at least not any time soon.
In the structured prayer, I would pause on ma rabu ma’asekha adonai how great are your works, G-d!
Do I include the plague Covid 19 among G-d's great works? It is great, the same way that "not all
“great” wizards are good. For he who must not be named did great, terrible but great things"
(that's a paraphrase NOT a quote from Harry Potter). Is it great as in much? It is definitely much.
There is too much of it. Is the greatness of G-d's Work about bio-diversity? It’s not covid #19, but it’s
definitely not #1 either. Is it about the fact that Creation has Corvids and Covids? Birds and bats and
viruses--oh my! Is it because we, as part of Creation, did not heed the V’ahavta? Do the mitzvot and the soil cycle continues to bless us, Don't do them and G-d sends plagues and famine. We did not follow the rules, we destroyed and destroyed and now the Holy One’s system is off
balance. Is covid 19 new? Or just new to humans because the fourteen other creatures it would
have passed to no longer exist because we took and took and took with no thought of closing the
cycle?
Do I include the plague Covid 19 among G-d's great works? It is great, the same way that "not all
“great” wizards are good. For he who must not be named did great, terrible but great things"
(that's a paraphrase NOT a quote from Harry Potter). Is it great as in much? It is definitely much.
There is too much of it. Is the greatness of G-d's Work about bio-diversity? It’s not covid #19, but it’s
definitely not #1 either. Is it about the fact that Creation has Corvids and Covids? Birds and bats and
viruses--oh my! Is it because we, as part of Creation, did not heed the V’ahavta? Do the mitzvot and the soil cycle continues to bless us, Don't do them and G-d sends plagues and famine. We did not follow the rules, we destroyed and destroyed and now the Holy One’s system is off
balance. Is covid 19 new? Or just new to humans because the fourteen other creatures it would
have passed to no longer exist because we took and took and took with no thought of closing the
cycle?
I believe it was in the Nat Geo from March that I read humans are not evil just dumb. We created a
linear system of consumption instead of a cyclical one like in nature. Nature is super smart just ask
Darwin. Then I think about how there are so many ignorant, yet healthy people who will not take this
seriously but will remain healthy. They are intellectually dumb yet genetically and physically strong
and healthy. Then I worry about all the people I know and know of who are not at their physically best
to make it through this. It’s so not fair that they might die.
linear system of consumption instead of a cyclical one like in nature. Nature is super smart just ask
Darwin. Then I think about how there are so many ignorant, yet healthy people who will not take this
seriously but will remain healthy. They are intellectually dumb yet genetically and physically strong
and healthy. Then I worry about all the people I know and know of who are not at their physically best
to make it through this. It’s so not fair that they might die.
I say “they” despite during my month of ambiguous coughing when I thought I’d be strapped to a
ventilator (#not a doctor), I am still in denial. I am just as selfish as those people walking around as
if there isn’t a plague.
ventilator (#not a doctor), I am still in denial. I am just as selfish as those people walking around as
if there isn’t a plague.
When I pray spontaneously, it’s for my health. It’s for my parents and my grandma. It’s for my fiance’s granparents. It’s for my wedding. It’s please not MY residents. Please
let me and mine be special.
let me and mine be special.
Back in fixed prayer, we pray for healing every day. But invoking G-d and Israel, we pray for collective
healing.
healing.
When I joined the Jewish people. I was warned, you know the holocaust. Being a Jew might put me
in danger. I wasn’t just cocky because America felt safe, I’m a lesbian from rural Michigan, I knew
from bigotry. I knew I wasn’t special. But I also knew the miracle that Judaism is. It will keep going.
I knew that I as an individual might not make it but that the collective would.
in danger. I wasn’t just cocky because America felt safe, I’m a lesbian from rural Michigan, I knew
from bigotry. I knew I wasn’t special. But I also knew the miracle that Judaism is. It will keep going.
I knew that I as an individual might not make it but that the collective would.
When people ask me about the climate apocalypse (of which covid is a symptom), I say it’s not the
world ending, but maybe our species is. The planet will rebound but we need to decide if humans get
to stay. TRY AS IF THERE IS STILL TIME.
world ending, but maybe our species is. The planet will rebound but we need to decide if humans get
to stay. TRY AS IF THERE IS STILL TIME.
We're all special in different ways. But non of us are truly special to the pandemic.
We’re coming up with triage wedding plans. We're hearing of the ambiguous loss of life that Covid
and precautions causes. That is why I pray for me and my loved ones spontaneously. I pray not just
to be spared but for the strength to make it through the things that don't spare us.
and precautions causes. That is why I pray for me and my loved ones spontaneously. I pray not just
to be spared but for the strength to make it through the things that don't spare us.
Unfortunately, this virus has not turned us into crows or ravens (that’s what Corvid means). But it has
very much shown that we as a species ARE A COLLECTIVE. That we as a planet ARE A
COLLECTIVE. So I will continue marking my timeless sheltering in place with collective prayers as
well. And I will continue to pray for the healing of all, and for the wisdom of all of us, and for the
health of the planet (all actual prayers in Judaism!).
very much shown that we as a species ARE A COLLECTIVE. That we as a planet ARE A
COLLECTIVE. So I will continue marking my timeless sheltering in place with collective prayers as
well. And I will continue to pray for the healing of all, and for the wisdom of all of us, and for the
health of the planet (all actual prayers in Judaism!).
May we all find comfort in this time. May we all learn from this time. The same prayer with "mah rabu" also has "in Your goodness you every day renew Creation". We Can both recover from this and from the habits that led us into this situation. Every day right now seems the same but hopefully everyday we are growing healthier and smarter and better.
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