Staying Out of the Murky River

Recently I lost my Mom. Slipping downwards, the part of me which learns from life, watches the process of grief. The tearing strands of loss. Sorrow comes in many forms and I know I am not alone in my sadness.

For all of humanity is caught in the swift flowing current of pandemic, climate change, political unrest and financial shifting. With nothing to grab hold we falter. Swept along the rapids of everyday struggle we battle. Drowning in the intensity of uncertainty adrenaline surges as survival modes click in. As a result, everything feels so much more intense. Now, not only do I feel my fear but all entangled in this undertow of change.

Perhaps, what used to annoy us, now rises anger. Worry struggles now full blown anxiety. Mood dips now go deeper and feel more isolating. As we fall into the separateness of lockdown, loneliness bites. Where we used to care we now ask “Why? What is the point?”

What I have found useful is to hold onto the image of the Murky River. The river of human experience which we all share.

Doing so helps me to find  my way to its banks. As I step away away from the collective whole I find my footing. Where although still grieving, feels ‘easier’. For I am no longer trying to regain my balance laden with the grief of others. Not wanting the rapids of emotional magnification to drag me back down I stay watchful. As I know the power of The Murky River.

Awareness is key.

How do we stay out of the Murky River –

• Recognise we are all struggling.

• Notice how you feed your feelings? Are your thoughts in the correct proportion or exaggerated as the Murky River of emotional distress magnifies?

• Again. Awareness is key. Just through the realisation that the collective whole adds to intensity, brings with it a more manageable perspective. 

• This shift in perspective puts us on the bank. No longer drowning by the scramble of others we see clearer what our feelings are trying to tell us.

Remember feelings are the barometer of life. For they tell us what is going on. Adding everyone else’s feelings to our own fogs the glass, making it difficult to read. By staying out of the Murky River with feet firmly on its bank we can better manage. Embracing the positive change that this time demands.