Here at In The Light Urns, we’ve helped and walked with countless people over the years who enter into the difficult moment in their life of losing a loved one and mourning. Death is a part of life that is inevitable, yet when that time arrives for a loved one, the pain and shock are unforgettable and seemingly unbearable. Every single day, for the past two decades, it has been our mission to accompany those experiencing overwhelming loss.
As we begin this new year of 2022, we continue to endure the changes that COVID-19 and its variants have caused. Looking back at the days when the world first began hearing about this virus from afar, no one knew exactly how much of an impact it would have on all of our lives. We live in such a fast-paced culture and globalized economy that no one would ever bet on a microbe so small being able to slow it down, let alone bringing to a screeching halt the major ways in which the world works.
More importantly, the lives we had leading up to the fall of 2019, all of us had our daily routines, responsibilities, jobs, or classes to attend. We had yearly plans reserved, sports teams we belonged to, social gatherings we attended, and favorite places to meet up with friends and family. Many had goals and dreams they were working towards along with a work-life balance to maintain.
In these past two years, all of our lives were impacted in one way or another. While we all share, to some degree, a drastic and sudden lifestyle change from the pandemic, I understand many of us have lost one or more beloved family members, friends, and loved ones. Over 800,000 lives, in the US alone, have been lost to COVID-related circumstances. Each of those lives was people with their daily routines; with their hopes and dreams.
Now we enter into this new chapter in our lives, we enter it with our hearts beating on. With our lungs still breathing and our feet still moving forward. We continue to survive, to live, to experience this life and all the challenges it brings our way. We continue on with our lives, carrying our broken and devastated hearts; facing new days while mourning and constantly remembering those we lost.
'We continue on with our lives, carrying our broken and devastated hearts; facing new days while mourning and constantly remembering those we lost.'
Some of us had to close our small business doors permanently, others had to put their journeys on hold. We’ve had to watch aspiring investments and long-dreamed-of projects decay over the past two years like sand slipping through our hands.
We’ve wrestled endlessly with new forms of anxiety and stress; with levels of depression and angst that we’ve never experienced before. We’ve watched with uneasiness and concern how policies changed, how elections pushed through, and how protests filled our streets. Like an angry ocean in a storm, we as a people grew restless and agitated at times, exhausted and tired at others, but today we remain here, standing.
Just like the ocean tide, we as a people continue to rise up and adapt to the challenges of our time. With every new or consistent hardship we face, we have seen communities and individuals from all over the world jump in and do what they can to provide services, aid, and resources; to be on the front lines doing their part. From educators to biomedical engineers, from nurses to first responders; working tirelessly to help others.
It is during this time of year where our culture focuses on new resolutions, on starting fresh. You might find yourself nowhere near where you thought you’d be at this point in your life. That’s okay. Together we all can begin this year with a united resolution, in the midst of the chaos and rough waters we’ve endured, together we can begin to look up to the constellations for guidance.
Like sailors out in the sea used to follow the stars to guide them back to shore, we can look to our own personal constellations to help us navigate the waters we find ourselves in. Let the losses you’ve experienced remind you to no longer push aside the truly meaningful and deeper things in life. Let it unleash you to openly love those around you in every moment given to you. Let it guide you to also be open to receiving the love of those in your life, to cherish the time you have with loved ones, even if those moments seem mundane or ordinary.
Let the tension and movements you’ve seen going on around the world and in our country become the bricks and stones you use to reinforce your values. Let it ignite the voice inside you to speak your truths and to remain strong like a deep-rooted tree. Let the ocean of voices and varying perspectives you’ve heard during trying times help build your ideals and shape your growth.
Let the sudden changes in jobs or school remind you how adaptable and capable you are to face new challenges. Let it show you that while the stress and struggles have been vividly real and overwhelming at times, your internal spirit continues to push through, not allowing you to drown in the storm. Let it guide you into new undiscovered lands where you can find new passions to grow and develop into new careers or pathways. Try new things, be open to new experiences now that we’ve seen how short and shifting life can be.
