Home Alone in a World of Uncertainty
Remember the movie, Home Alone. The little boy, Kevin, was unintentionally left behind while his family went on the family vacation. He must have portrayed a child of around 8 to 10 years old, and that child taught us a lot about being alone in a world of uncertainty, without the touch of or the closeness of his family, and in the midst of danger.
Upon the shocking reality of realizing that his family had gone on to vacation without him, Kevin began to adjust. As I recall, he first celebrated the fact that he did not have his pesky siblings around to harass him. He realized he had some basic needs to take care of, so he found his brother’s stash of money and went to the store to purchase items he needed to care for himself.
When danger came upon him, he realized had to protect himself. And he became creatively courageous to ward off his attackers.
Perhaps the most touching part of the story is his encounter with the “bird lady.” He displayed compassion, empathy, and kindness as they shared time together at the symphony and a hot drink. (Home Alone 2)
Kevin’s family had a newfound respect for him when they returned home to him. They expressed their love and appreciation for him, and they were proud of him. Kevin had lots of stories to tell his family upon their return as well. And deep down inside, he was proud of the person he had become.
Kevin taught us that when we are faced with a shocking reality of being alone, we could be resourceful to ensure that our basic needs are met. We can be creative to combat the fears that encroach upon us. We can celebrate ourselves for having been in the world of hustle and bustle, and in a world that we looked to, for our source of fulfillment.
Make this time count. If you are feeling alone, use the time to connect with the aloneness and show compassion and empathy for yourself. Then do something that makes you feel good. Once you accept the aloneness, you will find relief and you can celebrate just like Kevin did. And like Kevin, we will come full circle, back in touch with all that was seemingly out of reach and put on hold for a while.
We are a resilient people. Stay Safe. Be Well.
Questions to Ponder:
What/Who are you celebrating today?
What are you grateful for today?
How will you take care of your needs today?
What courageous act will you commit today?
Who will you show compassion to today?
What story will you tell when this is all over?
If you missed the Facebook Live version of this conversation, you can watch it here with the click of this link:
https://www.facebook.com/538393576186631/videos/2449589652019000