Wood Chips
From the shores of Lake Superior (The Third Coast)
The wind is cold. There’s beauty here, even as the winter approaches, the leaves fall, leaving the earth frozen, barren, dormant.
So, here’s a couple of thoughts as we face the coming days. The first is from New Zealand’s 40-year-old Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. She writes: “We will build back better from the COVID crisis. This is our opportunity.”
The second is from the former Director of Infectious Diseases with the CDC. “Get ready for the worse winter in modern history.”
My own take on these statements is that they’re both right. Psychoanalysts call the ability to hold such statements together as “earth.” They suggest to us that part of emotional maturity is a sense of gravity. That means feet on the ground.
Hang on. Strap yourself in. Let’s walk, dance, and stumble our way through what lies ahead. We can do this together. And do it well.
Jon Magnuson
The Cedar Tree Institute
“Wood Chips” is a series of brief reflections written by Jon Magnuson, Director of the Cedar Tree Institute.
