By It is already March and it is hard to believe that we are still living in a tragic situation. The world is still struggling and many things have changed since last year. Our mindsets have been altered. We have changed our concept of superheroes, who are no longer marvel heroes but supermarket workers and nurses, among others. Now, for instance, we value more, and maybe not yet enough, the admirable work of sanitary workers and those whose work it is to serve others. Certainly, for the past year we have grown a lot more humane.
In this period, which is becoming a long one, we have learnt to face vulnerability. We are no longer scared of this reality because all of us have experienced it first hand. The taboo of our fragility has been broken. Nowadays, more people recognise that they are not as strong as they wished. We are no longer scared of showing that we do have bad days and have difficulties. We are not as self-sufficient as we dreamt we were. We need others and we are needed by others too.
Time spent at home during the past year might have opened our minds to the importance of taking care of the elderly and children. The care of the most vulnerable has become a relevant issue in society. This non-stop trend of life we were living before the coronavirus arrived, was not leading us to a more humane society. We are all dependent and fragile somehow, and home is the best place to be cared for.
This pandemic is teaching me that “to face” vulnerability is not enough. It is a great step in humanity, but we can go further. Vulnerability is not just something to face, but something to be taken care of. “To face” has a negative connotation. It means to confront or accept a difficult or unpleasant task, fact, or situation, as if we do not have other choices than accepting it, and dealing with it. But to humanize our civilization we must learn to nurture fragility. Home is definitely the most convenient place for this learning. The family is the best school to learn to take care of the others, especially those who are in most need of attention. Accepting our vulnerability can be a gift for others. When we accept ourselves we create a space around us where others will feel safe, because they are encouraged to accept themselves too and it allows them to show their real selves.
This is part of a continuous learning process. To nurture fragility means to love. We need to remind ourselves that personal happiness does not depend on the successes we achieve, but on the love we receive and the love we give. It depends on feeling loved and having a home, a place where our mere presence is irreplaceable. A place you can return to, whatever happens, however fragile you become. At home we are accepted and loved as we are and that is what makes us strong. If our fragility is nurtured, we can feel secure at home.
Being a homemaker means to take care of vulnerability: our own and others. There are many things that are never said aloud at home. However, many of these intangible things acquire different shapes and forms on a daily basis and in simple things. Making beds, cleaning the bathrooms, doing the laundry and washing the dishes are examples of this care. You cannot take care of the person if you ignore their most basic needs. We can do these things with great love, nurturing fragility. These are only the reflection of a deeper care of that person.
This is a time of vulnerability and the world needs a care revolution.
Poetry, Home & Innovation 