Bowing to 2020 - January and February
In Rob Bell’s latest podcast, he and his wife Kristen reflected back on 2020 and Kristen shared something that has stuck with me for several days now. She shared about how, in lieu of hugs, handshakes, etc, she has been doing far more bowing to others and inviting them to do the same. She shared that it came out of both a Covid-safe practice but also from her study of a book called Zen Mind Beginners Mind. One piece from the book was to reflect upon how we bow not only to one another but to the experiences of our lives - the good and not-so-good. Doing so acknowledges those experiences and brings awareness of how we were changed by them. This all led to talking about how to not only look ahead to 2021, but to also look back and bow to 2020 and to not simply try to forget it. As I shared, this has really stayed with me and it got me looking back at my year of photos and how revisiting them helps me to bow down to what took place in this crazy, challenging, difficult, and in some ways beautiful year.
Pre-Covid (January and February), I began with a photo that connects to what has been stirring for me at the end of the year - reflection. The raindrop photo was simply me taking a photo through my windshield while waiting at a stoplight on a rainy day. It spoke to me of the need to look deeper because in each drop of rain on the windshield is a reflection of what is around outside. For me, this is where I find God most often, not in the big events but when I slow down, look deep, and find the holy in the midst.
The other two are a celebration of a trip that took place literally about 3 weeks before Covid restrictions began. Our family visiting Disney World and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. Our geekiness was off the charts especially with building our lightsabers and then randomly meeting Warwick Davis (Wicket and also Griphook from Harry Potter) while we were there. I cannot tell you the number of times we have revisited this trip and how lucky we were that we got it in before Covid showed up in full force.
So my bowing to 2020 begins with reflecting on what 2020 has been and bowing to the joy and fun of what my family and I were able to do.