Life is difficult

Those three words are the opening sentence of M. Scott Peck's classic publication "The Road Less Travelled." His book is about personal change and solving problems which is a painful process. He comments on his sadness, about his work as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, when many of his patients, realising they have to change for a better life, stopped therapy. He makes it clear that avoiding resolution is much more painful than the problem itself, but he says that those who make a commitment to change, as tough as it can be, find along "The road less travelled" grace, love and mercy that accompanies them in making the necessary change.

We have to walk along the road less travelled due to Covid 19. It is a tough road, but on it, while some display, at times, behaviour motivated by panic, there are others who are extending a hand of strength, love, compassion and friendship to those in need.

In my work as a counsellor, people tend to come and see me during a time of crisis. As their story unfolds, it is evident that there were signs along the way that they chose to ignore, dismiss, hope it would go away or denied. With my counsellor's hat on, if the Covid 19 is not a crisis, then it is a severe wakeup call that we must all listen to and take action. Whether it is a wakeup call or not, we are certain that life cannot continue as it always has.

As we adjust to a different way of being, working and living may I leave with you with this prayer? For those who do not like prayers, read it as a poem. Kitty O'Meara has written in an Old Testament prophetic style.

A Prayer for our Times

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.

Despite the magnitude of how Covid 19 has infringed and disrupted all of our lives, we are confronted by looking at things that are of most importance. We will get though this, hopefully as much better people.

There are several YouTube versions of this prayer if you wish to listen to it. Here is one of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEHP56kMrcs

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• Life is difficult
• Keep hope alive