Like The Moon, come out from behind the clouds! And Shine! – Buddha

Here’s a hard bit of wisdom for me to accept: I have three things to learn, according to the Chinese Philosopher Lao-Tzu, the father of Taoism: simplicity, patience, and compassion.

They are, he said, our greatest treasures. I learn simplicity from our animals, the donkeys, and the sheep. They never want more than they need, they never clutter up their lives, because they use or eat what they have.

Zinnia is patient. Every day, she tries to make friends with Kim, our nervous sheep.  Kim butts her and stomps her fit as Zinnia every day. One day, she will succeed.

I am rarely simple, sometimes patient, learning to be compassionate. Lao-Tzu was right, all three are treasures.

The coronavirus has given me both an incentive to be more patient, and an opportunity to practice patience at the same time. For me to be helpful and productive, rather than fearful and judgmental, then I need to be patient over these next few weeks.

I have found my leader and hero in this crisis, it is Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Centers For Disease Control. I know from my reporting days that he is honest and fearless, and cannot be compromised or deterred. He tells the truth, no matter how much it hurts.

I have no doubt he will be either fired or demoted or forced out of his job once this crisis eases, he is too honest and uncompromising to survive in that environment. He doesn’t say what people want him to say, he says what is true, even in front of more powerful bosses. And his ultimate boss does not like to be contradicted in public, which Dr. Fauci does daily.

That means his days are numbered.

Dr. Fauci was honest during the AIDS and Ebola crises, he is being honest now. He is my gateway to learning more patience because I have someone to trust and believe, I can more easily accept what I am being asked to do and told to do.

And what others are being asked to do and told to do.

I need someone like that to help me be patient, but I can take it from here. I see we are all being asked to trust and sacrifice, that is the best thing for me to do, and I believe, for everyone else to do.

I am not assuming that  Dr. Fauci is overstating things or that the government and media are spreading false hysteria. I am not lamenting their incompetence or judging their competence. I’m not qualified to do that.

I believe I have to stay away from people until told otherwise. He does not say – bless him – that people like me should stay indoors for two months, or that all older people should self-quarantine themselves.

He says I should stay away from significant numbers of people and wash my hands frequently.

Done and done. At this time, I will accept what is being asked of me and hope to do some good.

That will also help me with compassion, and my life is already getting simpler. Some of this will stay with me.

Zinnia and the donkeys will help me also. They are all masters of patience. In a week, Zinnia will be kissing Kim’s nose. She takes the long view, as I need to do.