The time capsule

We were going to visit our parents, call our friends, take a course in “something cool”, take our family on a trip into the unknown, or finally see the crocuses blooming in the mountains with our own eyes. We have ideas that we would like to put into practice, changes that we would like to introduce in our lives, but we postpone them because we need more time, strength, or resources.

Tenderness and freedom

A long to do list and an even longer list of expenses. A lot of work, fatigue, and, last but not least, a day that only has 24 hours and a body and mind that need to rest. So there is no other way, we switch our thinking to the “it will be fine if I do it tomorrow”, “it’s not the right moment, it can wait”, “someday I will find the time” mode... After all, these things won’t disappear, some of them are there for the taking, they can be done any time...

But all of a sudden, things stopped being so certain. Basic things, it would seem, such as the ability to move around, are limited or no longer possible at all... It occurs to us how fragile our reality is and that even the foundations of Rome, the Eternal City, are shaking. This may lead us to reflect on who and what we wouldn’t want to lose, what is still worth grabbing and enjoying. Who and what is of real value to us and can still make us happy? Who can we make happy in return? What would we like to try? What would we like to experience? What would we like to achieve?

Maybe, paradoxically, it took a pandemic to make us see something that was previously elusive, not tangible enough, or which we pretended not to see it because it was easier. Many of us are now re-evaluating and choosing new priorities. You might have more courage to try something new, too. So we encourage you to embark on a journey into your inner self and search for these treasures.

In order to be able to return to them as soon as they become available again, make your own time capsule. Fill it with notes of written plans that cannot be implemented now – plans that you have had for a long time or ones you have thought of only recently. Everyone can pitch in with their own individual ideas concerning themselves. Additionally, discuss what you’re going to do together as a family. Even if these ideas end up in the waiting room for a while, that’s okay. It’ll be nice to come back to them in a little while and see what we discovered, what our greatest needs and aspirations were during the pandemic.

When the time is right, open the time capsule together. Take another look at the things you thought were important and think about whether and how to implement them. Good luck!

Authors: Anna Samsel, Marta Tomaszewska (Kulczyk Foundation)