By Dorothy Rolin
Salmon Arm, BC
A time for reflection, a time for forgiveness, a time for compassion, in this unprecedented time.
Having lost a loved one not many months ago, I’ve found “this time” has provided me an opportunity to ponder the many emotions that seem to go hand and hand with mourning and mandatory isolation.
As I sit in my gazebo, light rain is playing out a summer tune on the canvas roof in time with the melody of the fountain in the nearby pond. Mother Nature has provided space for a mature setting all around me filled with colourful flowers amidst a green expanse and a guardian grandfather cedar tree.
For a long time, my mind was cluttered and social busyness seemed to dominate my lifestyle. Now Gratitudes and Mindfulness top my list. This solitude has given me time to sort out what is really important now, and guidance for the future.
One of my first Gratitudes is that I am grateful to have family and friends that love me and are concerned for my welfare.
Second, I’m grateful for living in our great country called Canada, especially BC and particularly the Shuswap area.
Third, I am taking time to enjoy my home of forty-two years and all the wonderful changes and garden extensions my husband created for us. It’s as though his presence still walks with me.
Four, I am grateful to neighbours who have stepped up to help fix things and to check on me.
Five, my awareness has been broadened to recognize the wrongs of past governments and social injustices inflicted on our fellow citizens.
Six, in order to move forward I need to be open to a “new normal” and change that needs to come about, not only in our country but worldwide.
Seven, it is my personal responsibility to speak up for the acceptance of equality of all people and to injustices of the law.
A quote by an 1850’s author, Alice Morse Earle, sums up my little epistle, “Everyday may not be good but there’s something good in everyday.
Unspoken Gratitudes,
Copyright © Dorothy Rolin, 2020