Reopening is something we’ve all longed for since February/March of 2020. We had glimpses of that possibility this summer when the masks came off along with the sunshine, and we hoped that we were seeing the end of the worst of the coronavirus. Then came the delta variant, and we are back into our places of uncertainty, perhaps tinged by fear, even if we’ve been vaccinated.

What I’ve come to call “COVID times” has asked a lot of each of us. We’ve had to practice self-care and care for those around us. We’ve had to wear masks in public places, keeping us from seeing each other’s smiles.

We’ve had to practice patience in ways we’ve been rarely called to do. We’ve coped by streaming movies, giving away things we no longer need, attending meetings on Zoom, and reaching out to children, grandchildren, and friends virtually.

Some of us have found solace in being out-of-doors away from others where we can be nurtured by the beauty of nature. Some of us have started to travel and venture out further, counting on our vaccinations to protect us, but still feeling hesitant about the possibility of catching a breakthrough infection and transmitting it to a child. We are continuing to to step into our futures with uncertainty:

• Will we really be able to “open” safely?
• What will that look like?
• What will that mean?

Perhaps the most important questions I’ve been asking myself during this time are: “Who do I need to be once things open again? How can I be a force for good in a world that continues to dissemble around me? Am I going to be a person of fear or of hope? What will be most helpful at this time of continuing confusion and uncertainty?”

Happily, I came across the following readings that are helping me determine how to step into the kind of future I would like to see and be a force for positive change:

From writer and spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. … In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it. Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here. We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what’s wrong in your life, or you can focus on what’s right. Maturity includes the recognition that no one is going to see anything in us that we don’t see in ourselves. Stop waiting for a producer. Produce yourself. If I choose to bless another person, I will always end up feeling more blessed.”

From Bishop Charleston: “You are the love that some other heart seeks. You are the healing some wounded life needs. You are the hope for some broken spirit. You are peace for some frantic mind. We are each the answer to some prayer, some need, some longing. We do not have to be heroic or wise to fulfill this role. We only have to be ourselves. We only have to be faithful. Take the chance to be your calling, share who you are, and watch the light flow into the world around you.”

May these inspiring words fill each of us with the hope and belief that we are each enough to return to the world in ways that help healing to happen. May we find the strength to be a source of light to others. May we touch the world with that light. Blessings and Peace to you.

For more information, please contact RSVP Coordinator Megan Wildhood at meganw@solid-ground.org or 206.694.6786.

• RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) is an AmeriCorps Seniors program that engages people age 55 and older in a diverse range of volunteer activities. Sponsored locally by Solid Ground, we match RSVP volunteers with opportunities to meet community needs at approximately 40 partner organizations. To get involved, contact us at rsvp@solid-ground.org today!

• EIA (Experience in Action) is RSVP’s member newsletter, printed three times a year.

• This piece by EIA contributor Carol Scott-Kassner appears in FALL 2021: A gentle reopening. Carol is a spiritual director and a Certified Sage-ing Leader in Sage-ing International. To find out more about what Sage-ing offers, go to: www.sage-ing.org.