At 6 a.m. on Friday, July 8, I reached to turn on my cell phone only to have it ringing already. It was my daughter.
“Mom, I’m okay,” she said.
I had no idea why she was saying this. I then learned at a very personal level about the chaos that enfolded after a gunman killed five officers and sent crowds screaming and running for safety in Dallas.
My daughter had gone outside to look for a valet after a business meeting at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Instead the only people she found were running toward her, accompanied by police. She was abruptly swept up in the crowd, then escorted into the hotel’s lobby and then into the hotel’s restaurant kitchen.
Even after I knew my daughter was no longer near the front lines of this horrific event, I felt emotionally held hostage—overwhelmed by text messages and social media that kept the fear alive.
In the aftermath of this, I’ve become more aware of how much separation is taking place in the world. Fueled by fear and anger over these sorts of unconscionable events, the “us-versus-them” mentality is in full swing. But in this separation we are actually separating from our true self, from our compassionate loving self.
These acts of terror have our full attention. The unrest feels never ending. But I believe this chaos is foange. This chaos is leading to awareness that our old ways are no longer working. Out of this chaos we will learn to work together, to be together and to honor our differences.
This month, my main tip is to choose peace. In the midst of the chaos in the world, we must find peace within.
Here are some tips:
Practice self-care—whatever that means for you. Bike. Hike. Meditate. Take a walk. Sit in nature. Rock a baby. Pet a dog. Do what you need to center and ground yourself and to feel supported.