[Vinyl record sleeve photo]
When my older son Rob survived 13 days on a ventilator last Spring*, none of us could know we were at the beginning of a year-long pandemic siege, unlike anything any of us had ever experienced.
We’ve survived. As we emerge, I can’t help but think of the last 2 lines of Mary Oliver’s Poem “The Summer Day”
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
When Rob survived Covid-19, I remember imagining the short-term future, and saying to the rest of the family “Our job is to stay alive.”
Cut to now. With one more week until the much-anticipated 2 weeks post my second vaccine, I remain vigilant for 6 more days. I believe my job is to survive Covid…to be there for my family especially, but also for everyone. I hope that you’ll survive because, I need you, too. Events of the past 14 months have reinforced that we are all in this wild and precious life together.
It’s easy to slough off (or block out) the memories of the past year, and we certainly don’t want to marinate in the difficulties.
Before you forget them, you might want to write down what you most missed during the pandemic year. What you can’t wait to do. I’ll go first.
- Give my sons and my elderly mother big hugs (next week!)
- Smile at people, especially kids and dogs (doing it now, outdoors!).
- Be able to offer someone assistance in public, without them being terrified as I approach.
- Get on a plane without worry, and be able to eat those lousy peanuts 🙂
- Go to my favorite restaurant in NYC (Balthazar, now re-opened, I’ll be there in June) and also a Broadway play (timing unknowns on that one!).
If you’re at all like me, now that your job is no longer to simply survive, you may want to take a crack at the question at the end of the poem. Y’know…how to build a life worthy of your “one wild and precious life”.
I believe that a business is one of the best places to develop ourselves, our relationships, our life vision & its legacy. It doesn’t matter the business type, whether it’s your primary professional focus or a side gig. In my opinion, there’s no better laboratory for reaching your life’s potential.
What will serve you best now? Is it for your life to be ‘Same as it ever was,’ or will you choose to emerge from your Covid cocoon changed?
Jump into this weeks’ Free Office Hour and let’s discuss (info. below).
Until next time
This blog is originally published in Marilee's newsletter.
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Posted in Speaking of Strategy
