Day 21 - Carrying Humanity in our Heart and in our Actions

Governor Cuomo: "My last point is practice humanity. We don't talk about practicing humanity, but now if ever there is a time to practice humanity the time is now. The time is now to show some kindness, to show some compassion to people, show some gentility - even as a New Yorker."

Cuomo: "Yes, we can be tough. Yes, this is a dense environment. It can be a difficult environment. It can also be the most supportive, courageous community that you have ever seen that is why I am proud to be a New Yorker and to be Governor of this great state."  

Walking in Gilbert, AZ - Shadow Catching  

I wanted to start my blog today with Governor Cuomo's ending to his press conference this morning,  I did not hear it live, I amazingly and happily slept in this morning, but later I went on line after several people commented about his amazing leadership during this time.  I had earlier in the morning reread a journal article written by Dr. Richard Keeling Cultivating Humanity: the Power of Time and People in The Journal of College and Character.   So I had been thinking about what would happen if we did take this time of crisis to cultivate humanity - and here was Governor Cuomo, talking so very passionately and truly from his heart to all New Yorkers.    My day today had a few check-ins by phone.  I got a Face-time from my Grandson Luke,  he just got a notice today that he has been accepted at UC-Irvine and he had just gotten the email today.   He now has been accepted at Oregon University and UC Irvine.  It is good for him to get good news as the last weeks  and months of being a high school senior, captain of his Lacrosse team and so much more does not look like anything that he and we were all expecting.  My heart bursts for Luke,  he has worked so hard, he wants to do such good work in the world and I am so hopeful that he will find a place to learn and grow and cultivate humanity.    I had some zen cooking time,  peeling carrots, grating ginger, dicing onions - I made a very big pot of carrot ginger soup and we had our first taste tonight and it was wonderful.  Felt so alive and energizing--for sure a big immune booster.  

We took a walk in the late afternoon and when we got home I tuned into a "home concert" on Facebook by Emma's Revolution  please check out their website - they are such wonderful activist artists - they will be having more concerts and it was a good good heart opening, foot stomping, sing it out time.  

I was struck by one thing in particular that Sandy said during the concert, she said, "if we do this right,  we will never go back to normal, because normal is not sustainable."    Quiet Leadership,  Cultivating Humanity, Envisioning Moving Forward.  That is what I am sitting with tonight.  

I am also aware of my absolute pragmatic streak and the ways that I need to help ground myself in my today and not spin out.  My friend Linda Lenzke ( I have her blog Mixed Metapohors on my blog site check her out)  she posted this chart about what one can/cannot control I am re-posting it here to end my blog today.  I found it helpful, easy to digest and a nice guidepost.  So as they say, "take what you like and leave the rest".  

 p,s,  I also like that many are calling our actions "physical distancing" and reminding us that we are social creatures and we are not distancing socially, just physically.