It Takes a Village
To Slay the COVID Dragon
by Howard Termo,
Transdisciplinary Mental Health Practitioner
How many times has a parent said to a child, “Just a few minutes longer.”, “One more bite.”, or “We’re almost there.” Now parents are being asked to do the same. Hang in there a little longer, consume what is becoming unpalatable, and envision a light at the end of the tunnel. With the holidays upon us and 2020 drawing to a close, COVID fatigued parents are ready for a return to a more normal way of living and celebrating. Unfortunately, they know there is still further to go. It’s not been easy. So, just as on many an evening parents have comforted their children with, “Just one more book…”, perhaps a story here might help us hang in a little longer. Fair warning, it is a fearsome story at first, but it has a happy ending. Shall we try?
Once upon a time, in a village in the Redwoods, a dragon circled high above. It was the season, and the villagers were worried. When the dragon finally descended it breathed flames that engulfed the countryside. Its wings were so powerful they created turbulent drafts that extinguished candles and darkened hearths. A plague ensued victimizing the populace and weakening longstanding guilds. It would have been easy for the villagers to feel small and overpowered, but they would not give up. Their heroes doused fires day and night and kept order, as there was anger and uncertainty about what to do. Their leaders moved past alchemy and looked to healers to light the path. Ingenuity drove them. Hope made their village stronger, and humility showed them their interconnectedness. They saw that though tiny as individuals, when joined they could defeat anything. As single drops together, they made a beautiful and powerful ocean. Like single stars connected, they made families of stars, constellations which combined to make their greater universe. Parents and nurturers helped children, children helped themselves, and neighbors helped each other. They slew the dragon and began their journey of restoration, knowing that what they had learned and gone through together had changed them forever. It took time and courage. It took their whole village. ֎
Going forward what will slaying the COVID dragon look like for us? Unfortunately, for now it will look much the same as it has, as we are continually asked to acclimate to the chronic uncertainty of our times. Are playgrounds off limits or available? What will our holiday gatherings look like? Where did I leave my mask, and most importantly, how soon will science and ingenuity make vaccines available to all?
Questions abound and eventually answers come, but in the meantime, there is much we can be doing. We can take care of ourselves by getting outdoors when we can. We can listen to and reassure each other, especially our children. We can keep practicing social distancing and wearing our masks. We can keep our services and businesses afloat by buying locally and ordering from local restaurants. And we can find inspiration and hope in each other, remembering that giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. For some, this year may be more a year of receiving, next year a year of giving. We never know. That there is always room for both is a lesson of gratitude and service that children can see in
action right at home and through the work of service organizations who know that needs will not end on December 31. Though there is still further to go, we can continue to come together, and as a village, we WILL slay the dragon