I’ve been so incredibly pandemi-lonely.Some days I was just paralyzed. Unable to move. Trapped in this social connection VACUUM created by Covid-19 containment measures.(Look, if you haven’t felt this way, just keep scrolling. This post isn’t for you.)And today I realized I’m not paralyzed now. I’m not staring into the abyss, worried about falling in.Now, I’ve got projects and people to work with. Shared curiosity and aspirations. Plans for next year have replaced fear of the future.I’m so fortunate – even giving myself full credit for individual effort, I know I’ve had advantages. Even in my isolation and loneliness, I’ve had a measure of autonomy. I felt somewhat confident I would survive based on good fortune and my own responsible choices.I’m good at disasters. Deeply knowledgeable about how people face the unthinkable and go on to create meaningful lives out of the ashes of destruction.As a species it’s our special ability. To create new lives out of our own imaginations, dreams fertilized by our own relentless hard work.The crucial milestone in recovery – the essential ingredient of the rebirth recipe is acceptance.We accept our circumstances. “It is what it is.” Not as an expression of resignation or cynicism. But an humble recognition of current challenges and circumstances.We are mature enough to realize we aren’t being picked on. There are millions of people living with greater deprivation and more cruel losses. It’s a shared exposure. The human condition.We are all vulnerable creatures on a common journey. A fraught journey of uncertainty and upheaval. A shared sense of being lost in the vastness of creation and found in the company of one another is a part of the human condition.Resignation is not acceptable. Resignation is like sour tea flavored with sentiments of self pity. “Why me, lord? It’s not fair.”Acceptance on the other hand is like a refreshing and healthy drink. It sounds like this:“This is my life and my challenge now. I own it. And I move forward confident that I can remake purpose and find meaning in suffering.”