Wit and Wisdom
It rained for hours on Sunday. I took more than one solitary walk, quietly happy as the rain fell in a cocoon around me and I listened. Listened carefully as the memories of other rainy days echoed through streets now silent and deserted. It was a rainy and windy afternoon a week ago in fact, that blew my daughter and I into our local movie theatre, hours before everything shut down, to watch Emma, the latest version of Jane Austen’s classic tale. We sat in the spotlessly empty theatre in careful isolation and watched, enchanted from the opening credits, as a thoroughly enjoyable version of the story unfolded before us.
Jane Austen has been much on my mind for one reason or another recently. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read one of her novels but discussions with my son, who recently studied Pride and Prejudice in his English class, spurred me to search my bookcases until I located my copy of the text. Reacquainting myself with Jane Austen’s captivating prose and her wonderfully witty and wise expose of human folly and foibles has been an absolute delight. Emma is next on my list and as I have not read it recently I can’t, at present, offer comment on how truly faithful the film is to the novel. I believe that the main elements of the story are kept intact even if several of the nuances have been tweaked somewhat.
This visit to the cinema was our last outing. We are now well into our second week of shut down and becoming accustomed to this rather different way of living. The car sits idle in the garage for the most part; long trips are no longer possible or necessary. Outdoor walks have become a precious commodity; I don’t think Duke has enjoyed so many walkies in his life! One silver lining to the cloud we are all presently under is the happiness that I observe in him. With all the family at home, all of the time, he is content and shares his endless love equally amongst us all. Other family members seem to have adjusted to new routines without too many noticeable signs of distress. Where the children are concerned, this is largely due to the tremendous work that both their schools have done to move to distance learning with incredible speed. Our son now takes his daily lessons via Zoom video conference and our daughter, being so little, does a mixture of worksheets and also has lessons on Zoom with her teacher. I am amazed and extremely grateful for how it has been possible to move into this scenario with so little disruption for them.
My concern for all the other people who help us in our daily lives grows with each day that this situation continues. On the rare occasions where it’s possible to maintain connections without physical contact we are doing so. Music lessons are continuing via FaceTime and gymnastics coaching is continuing through FaceTime and Zoom. Otherwise I worry for the livelihoods and health of many of the people that I know and pray that this situation will soon be resolved.
When I have a rare moment to myself, I think of the infinitely precious resources provided by the Buddhist faith and teachers. I remember how it is such times of difficulty and uncertainty that true religious practice is vital. I think also of the wonderful bond which families everywhere share with one another and of the simple truth that it is in altruistic action that we see our humanity most clearly in the briefly glowing moments that we all share in this beautiful and fleeting world. Spending so much time with my children is paradoxically heightening my awareness of how quickly they are growing up and how speedily I am growing old! And I keep coming back in the end to kindness. If only my heart could be kind what a wonderful heart it would be!
Image courtesy of edheckerman.com
