It is Time

 Now that I have reached age 70, reality smacks me in my face

The rules we lived by have changed and it throws me off center

It shocks me

Radical hypocrisy and shamelessness are in fashion

Words are used to attack, gaslight and harm

Civility is not valued

Consciousness, heart and soul in our society, has been tossed into the garbage

Individuality with no regard for others has surfaced like a plague

This is oppressive

Many of us treat one another with condemnation

We are motivated by getting ahead and attaining power, money and status

We look at other human beings as objects to manipulate, use and toss

The planet is seen as a bone to chew on and then discard

The ones who feel entitled blast away at the heavenly mountains and forests or they seep toxic chemicals into our precious lands and holy waters

In order to pad bank accounts and fill pockets

With disregard to the rhythm, harmony, the flow of nature 

With disrespect and callous endangerment to the health and psyche of those who live in sync with the land, who nurture and pray to the forest, water, plains and mountains

And they dismiss, discount, and reject those who are physically and mentally assaulted by this recklessness and abuse of our planet

And I can't help but grieve and reflect on how I've lived 

At 70 years of age I look back at my history and decisions

I see how at times I operated in a vacuum

I remember when my brain didn't send the messages to my heart that was spoken, shouted, chanted and sung out loud

And I was right there

The pain, the truth, the vulnerability was overlooked, shut down and denied by my discomfort and shame

I was okay living in my bubble and paid minimal attention to those who were crying out in pain

My heart is saddened by my denial of injustice

I see how we, the ones who are gifted privilege, dropped the ball and allowed those who feel entitled and superior, to pick it up and run with it

And we watched

And we still are

There is a helpless and disturbing trembling in the pit of my stomach

As I see what is being done in this country, to this society, and the marginalization it does to people who are Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian

How it perpetuates Antisemitism and Islamophobia

I see how it triggers violence and mass shootings

How it denies science and makes us all vulnerable to outbreaks of disease

I see how it divides us and we become mega polarized

We lose trust in government and each other day by day

At this moment this is overwhelming but unacceptable

The voice from my body tells me to open and dive into what is unjust

To pop the protective shield that I have been hiding behind

I need to turn the page

I'm done sitting on the sideline

It's time to start a new chapter

At this age of 70 I realize how this is the moment to open my heart

To allow my awareness, the life energy from deep inside of me to expand outward

To breath into the center of my being deep down inside

And to exhale out into the space I am occupying

At this age of 70 I am drawn to feel, to understand, to appreciate what the person who is sitting next to me is experiencing

What they are living with and through

What the picture is that they are seeing through their eyes

What the narrative is that they are interpreting

To holistically sense and feel what their reality is and where it is they have landed at this time 

To give them my shirt if they are bare chested

To show them my hands if they need to be held

It is at this time that I need to listen to the wise part of my self

It is at this time that I speak the truth

It is at this time that I override fear

It is at this time that I allow the voice from way down inside of me to be heard

It is at this time that I speak for those who have been shut down

To fight those who are actively suppressing human rights from my brothers and sisters

It is time to think about Mother Earth

To have gratitude for what she gives us

To honor and appreciate her beauty and power 

I feel her constant nurturing of my soul

I feel her holding me close to her skin

I heal in her arms

I dance to her rhythm

I am soothed by her music

She needs my gratitude and protection

I am 70

And yes it is time

It is time to feel the joy of hiking in the woods up north and feel the connection with the pines, the birch, and the sparkling lakes that sprawl in the elevated landscapes 

And feel the gentle touch on my face from the warm breeze in late spring

At this age of 70 I hear the urgent chirping of birds in the trees as they frenetically awaken in the morning 

I embellish in the accomplishment of finishing a five mile run or completing a high intensity interval workout 

At this age of 70 I welcome the excitement that overtakes me when I read about a new idea or concept on the the truths or fallacies about society

At this time of my life I allow myself to feel the joy of being with the ones I love as we play board games in the evening

Or hike the Superior Trail on a clear spring afternoon

I am allowing myself to feel the loving essence that others have for me

And I am grateful

Now that I am 70 I realize being loving to all that I encounter during the waking hours is what makes a great day

I know that we are all part of the same human fabric

That you can't hear or see but you can definitely feel

In your bones, in your heart, in your soul

We are all one

We all have that longing, aching, for our hearts to be seen

May I give myself the honor to see yours shine

It is time. . .