By Valerie Brown, JD, MA, PCC
“We are talking only to ourselves. We are not talking to the rivers, we are not listening to the wind and stars. We have broken the great conversation. By breaking that conversation we have shattered the universe. All the disasters that are happening now are a consequence of that spiritual ‘autism.’”
Thomas Berry
The universal ache of COVID-19 is felt by people all over the world. Some stand on their balconies banging pots and pans or applauding essential services workers. Opera singers, musicians, rappers, and dancers share personal video messages from quarantined spaces. Some of us have lost our jobs. Others, because of their job, face exposure to the virus. There is fear and anxiety, and a deep longing for human connection and meaning. The world, your world has changed, and we are all living in a Brave New World by necessity.
The global health pandemic has brought close to home loss and grief. Friends and family members have been sickened or died. My life has changed in self-isolation and in many ways thankfully so: less travel and more time in my beautiful home, a modest barn in a small artist village along the Delaware River.
Amidst the depressing news, a bright spot received very little attention. The Delaware River, a short walk from my front door, which runs from Hancock, New York to the Delaware Bay, has made a comeback, and was recently hailed as a national success story and named ‘River of the Year, 2020.’
COVID-19 feels like a stark wakeup call to humans and to the planet. Bad news about the environment is everywhere, and then there is the good news about the Delaware River, at 330 miles long, it is the largest undammed river in the United States east of the Mississippi. The river’s comeback is attributed to caring communities, environmental groups, and research organizations. The Delaware stands as a reminder that as we strengthen our compassion, peace, and understanding within ourselves, we naturally seek the same in the natural world. As we unite to restore and protect the natural world, we ignite the spirit of love in action within ourselves. We benefit. Our beautiful environment benefits.
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