Wishing Everyone Who Celebrates or Appreciates It, A Happy Easter Sunday, April 14th, 2020
Dear Livfully Friends and Everybuddy Else too,
How is mid-April finding you? With some traditions such as Passover and many centuries later, Easter marking this time of spring as one of promise and renewal if not miracles and profound 'waking up' for humanity and tuning into the divine, it's hard to not take a moment and Be Grateful for Life and who or whatever is helping us all keep 'stayin' alive'. In this age of the media making the message loud and clear to 'Stay Home to Stay Safe' as one 10 year old drew in the sand for anyone to plainly read if they happened to be walking down a road with 'no exit' with few houses. One never knows.
Who'd think that act would come to mind and be shared on a blog, back on the ol' internet for all of the world to read, another pebble in the pond of wisdom and encouragement? The big stone that was rolled from the tomb of Jesus to reveal his body was not there and possibly a guardian spirit was has been the crux of a new point in history.
Was Jesus something special, not only for The Chosen People who Jesus said he came to connect with initially but for all Gentiles as well? How can it be that our whole world over time fell into the pathways of religious and political debates that grew into material and cultural wars over something that would ideally have 'made live better' in terms of sharing more blessings from above?
The Course In Miracles and many books that speak to the themes and insights of that as well as other traditions that speak to the spiritual nature of human beings as 'superior' or more meaningful and even complex and mysterious than our human forms, minds and social ties (yes even those treasured relationships...)
There still seems 'something more we haven't quite put our finger on or figured out about what makes us tick or in the holier sense, human spiritual beings....But we sure can keep trying... our lives and world may depend on us gaining a few key insights whether about quantum science and our own quantum abilities...for intuiting, healing, and allowing for a greater meeting of our minds.
I have considered the reality of all faithful people trying to live their lives with the 'rules and options' to get married 'once for life' and often to the first person they fell in love with or otherwise found themselves in an arranged marriage with before the days of birth control or really understanding where babies came from or how they were made. The spiritual reasons before there were laws allowing for divorce or social supports for children and families to have some assistance were profound.
There is still a huge streak of 'the only way to survive is to follow the commandments to a tee.' Yet in our modern world, people have more support to make a living or find groups to join with to grow over time through teen and early adult years, mainly to explore the world and find skills to get a job and possibly date someone seriously. The idea of marriage really should have a lot of national discussion, a bit like we talk about COVID19. The idea of 'staying with one person' for health and wealth, or sickness and poverty are vows that stretch back eons..but how do those really play out in today's 'do or die' world of needing to pay for housing, for food and basics?
If people could camp out that may not be so pressing, but as it is, women who have children and cannot support them are often forced to give them up from the get-go or along the way, even during a divorce from an abusive man. That is something that is changing or maybe is not as common in cities that make provisions for keeping mothers and children 'safe and together' which is an international standard of care promoted for any type of crisis to keep children safe and healthy. I am hoping to post this shortly, while it is still Easter and encourage us all to consider the past few hundred years.
As divorce has allowed for people to amicably part ways and mostly to divide responsibilities fairly, there are many people and inputs from religion and cultures that put undue pressure on women to 'stay for the good of the children'. The men too, but if the men are abusive they are often dangerous and damaging to many others in the social circles as well.
The impact is not being acknowledged by mainstream society as they have been doing for the symptoms even if not clear but nonetheless troubling, of COVID19. Since 'it's all happening now' that people are being in the spotlight of having to stay home that means for many 'staying with their abusers.' There are important resources to learn about such as Safe & Together Institute with David Mandel and his wife Ruth who run podcasts and training programs with their team online and in person around the world (though not so much of that these days.) I cover other points on these matters on Livfully.org posts and will do more soon.
But the urgency for every state and country to clarify the legal rights and outreach about those rights to all women is critical Before they get pregnant or married...or even in a serious relationship. All men also have a right and need to know since while most can play fair and be guided if getting out of line, many are dangerous and difficult, even deadly, to their victims and responding police if not others who may try to intervene or be collateral damage to their sense of entitlement and need to control and intimidate others.
It's a tricky condition but worse for the lack of understaning of it by the public and their social circles. So with the pressure of 'anyone could be at risk' we may as well remind people that involves quite a few things in 'regular life starting with relationships and interacting with others in general', particularly if in close quarters, driving with someone or having a child with someone in terms of parenting or financially supporting the child. Thanks for considering these matters and the traditions which mainly meant well and are still chugging along in thousands of forms..from fundamental and traditional to more relaxed and progressive.
Plus we have 'democracy and the free world.' Let's consider many healing, inspiring traditions and not lose sight of the golden rule and wisdom of many over the ages that counsel people to be patient with one another, for a caring village to rear a child, to provide connection and support to people at every stage of life since we are social beings and to be accountable sooner rather than later to keep on the sunny and safe side of life!
