I just finished reading a book my daughter, Brandy Wells, had recommended to me, The Overstory by Richard Powers. The book is a profound novel about the trees of our Earth being silent gods among us. Every medicine ever discovered was derived from our trees or plants, who are masterful chemists, always morphing chemicals to heal trees connected underground that have gotten sick and to heal our illnesses. The trees underground root connections to each other will cool them all collectively during heat surges, heal them collectively when necessary and adjust constantly as a group to ever-changing weather conditions.

During this Pandemic our connections to each other have been disrupted in ways we have not seen happen before. Coming up with new ways to maintain our meaningful connections will require creative, unique solutions for each person. It’s important to lean into your personal preferences and honor them with your behavior in some way each day. It isn’t about getting what you want, it’s about moving toward what you want slowly and steadily. Lean into your creative, playful, and unique characteristics; and lean away from fear, dread, and obsessions, in order to find meaningful connections for yourself in this brand new set of circumstances. Re-discover your curiosities and connect with them daily in meditation and behavior as best you can. For example: Have you ever wanted a little kitchen garden? Have you ever wanted to have a bird feeder? Have you ever wanted to foster an animal? Have you ever wanted to bake something? Have you ever wanted to learn to play chess? Have you ever wanted to volunteer somewhere? What have you wanted to do and connect with that you haven’t yet explored? Think about exploring your curiosities a little bit each day to reduce stress and maintain new, meaningful connections.