Disconnect to connect.
You might, or might not, have noticed and interruption in my daily blog. It took the form of COVID interruptus, an involuntary pulling away from most of the routines of my daily life.
The illness hit hard initially, and I woke up around 11:00 am the first night in a literal sweat, realizing that I hadn’t blogged that day. I’ve been blogging daily for several years, so this felt like a failure to me.
Then I realized that I was the only one with expectations around this. My readers might not even notice a prolonged absence of daily posts. I quickly determined I wouldn’t post again until I felt strong and inspired. Today is that day.
With COVID, I was exiled in the bedroom for days on end. Nate delivered food and drink at intervals. The cats were my faithful companions. Absent were the TV and computer, as well as routine exercise.
I slept a lot and did crosswords and read quite a few books. At first, I was too ill to read or think much. So, I laid in bed and drifted, unanchored by my usual routines.
This drifting was a gift. It pulled me out of my usual mindset and allowed me to experience differently. The disconnection allowed me to reconnect with existence in a different way.
I’ve come out of the COVID experience a bit bemused and re-evaluating life in general. In a way, COVID was a kind of spiritual retreat, a chance to review what is an isn’t important.
Today’s message reminds me that I don’t need to get ill to disconnect in this way. More regular inner retreats will help keep me connected with what’s truly important.
Please reflect and share. What do you do to re-evaluate your life?