Penguins, Polar Bears, and Humans: Walking Through This Life
I’m a weird mother. I always used to tell my son how to escape or survive disastrous situations. This included everything from how to escape from an abductor to preventing a hippo from overturning your boat on the Nile. Don’t laugh. I inadvertently saved his life when I taught him about not getting stuck under the ice. We lived beside a huge lake that froze over in the winter. Teaching him how to walk like a penguin and slide like a polar bear was extremely helpful when the ice broke under his feet.
I talked to him about how to survive if he were captured and put in solitary confinement. I told him he would have to take care of his body, his mind, and his spirit. We talked about the importance of being physical enough to stay limber and strong without going beyond the limits set by the food intake he was allotted. This included finding a way to stretch himself within the confines of a small space and to replicate the movements and load bearing aspects of walking or running. We also discussed occupying his mind but not in a mindless way. Singing songs or parts of songs he remembered. Reciting stories that were read to him as a child. Generating lists from A to Z in different categories. Visually describing places he has visited or lived. We talked about how dictating letters out loud to those he loves would be a way to let his emotions pass through him without drowning him. Remembering and reliving the best moments of his life and perhaps making hopeful plans or simply fantasizing about how he would live his life in different, maybe even ideal, circumstances could also be helpful.
We humans are funny. Sometimes we feel hope when we dream of what could be. Sometimes doing that depresses us. Finding a way to let both of these feelings in while balancing their existence may be what living fully and well is all about. Learning to do that in captivity by taking care of our bodies, minds, and souls can make all the difference. It doesn’t matter whether we are locked in some hellhole, feeling imprisoned by the horrible state of the world or in our own homes, or lucky enough to currently live in wonderful circumstances, balancing all our feelings is always an important part of this human gig.
Cinse Bonino
2023
#awareness #danger #mindfulness #emotions #balance #selfcare #life #beinghuman
