Yesterday was my first day back to work. With that, I was aware of the high anxiety and conflicted students in my Pilates class. I was trying to balance being soft and approachable with social distancing and hesitation. I did not want anyone to feel uncomfortable. In my second class, I had a little excitement. I had the doors open for ventilation and in swooped a little gray bird who actually flew almost right at me and hit the window above my head. He was a little stunned. He fell a little bit and went to the opposite side and trapped himself once again hitting another window. I could feel his anxiety and fear and I didn't want to add to it or scare him more. I was trying to coerce him out, but was adding to his anxiety and he repeated the pattern of hitting both windows once more. Luckily a women in the class came up and ever so gently but without hesitation picked up the bird, secured his wings and gently put him outside as if she handled birds everyday. She did not feed into the birds anxiety. She just did exactly what the bird needed and without fear. She didn't necessary worry that it would upset him because she knew the bird was going to hurt himself if she didn't take action. In a time of very high anxiety, it was a lesson I needed. I can not feed into the anxiety because it will only heighten it. I can't hesitate because it will show uncertainty. I can only act on what I have prayed about and do it and by doing so, I will lower anxiety not increase it.
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