Pending

Friends,

Although we have had a number of crucial breakthroughs these past couple of months to ease the impasse of our political, Covid, and cultural challenges, we are still in an unresolved mode of waiting to get to a safer new plateau of stability and predictability. One way to describe  the predominant sensibility these days might be the adjective “pending.” “Pending" means "waiting for a decision or settlement," and that is generally how we all are carefully negotiating an emergence from the mask and hygienic precautions we have been following as well as awaiting pending stimulus checks, and pending decisions about when it is safe to send kids to school or re-opening a business. In general the idea of a pending decision is not particularly troublesome; it’s just a matter of waiting a while longer. It’s the kind of feeling we get when we are told, “I don’t know yet; I’ll get to it as soon as I can.” “Well, OK," we say, warily.  But the world is also so tired of waiting, so we continue to be anxious and wearily impatient..

Ordinarily we have some tolerance for needing to wait for the next step. We trust in a likely progression of responsible and timely actions and follow through. But for those of us who have experienced the worst of the lockdown - lost or diminished work and income, untreated medical problems, exacerbated mental stress, increased sense of being overwhelmed - the idea of yet another delay is understandably harder to tolerate. And all of us are just plain tired of the year of tedium and restrictions, even often amidst otherwise challenging and fulfilling days.

So we now have big promises of a governmental windfall and adequate supplies of vaccine, and we are able to go from a mood of uncertain “pending” to and little more helpful sister adjective, “impending,” meaning “about to take place.” And we are certainly ready for this transition. We are told that what is "about to take place” is an economic recovery, increased employment opportunities, and, with masks and caution, a return to greater mobility and a more engaging, intimate social life. And I trust this is all true.

And while I am anxious to welcome more social contact, at the same time I personally want very much to continue to live out of my discovery that it is possible to live a simpler lifestyle and to have a depth of relationships with family and colleagues that I would not have expected or imagined until the “Zoom revolution.” And, as a bonus, I have had more quiet time alone and with Cathy, among other blessings.

Now the question is whether we as individuals and as a society will just return to old habits, resorting to shopping, indulging in social media, sports and other distractions, rather than maintaining the close family ties and friendships many of us have established during the pandemic. Will we also continue a deeper appreciation of our environment from our experience of spending more time being out in nature for our recreation and soulful diversion?

Other critical strategic challenges are “pending” before us as we open up now from the year-long lockdown, but I truly believe one of the most important “pending” challenges for all of us, personally and culturally, is whether we can now implement and nurture the deeper quality of relational life that has also evolved out of the travail of the Covid era experience, at least for some of us. How intentional do we want to be about the new possibilities rising before us?

Peace,

Tom




unsettled
unconcluded
uncertain
awaiting decision
awaiting action
undetermined
(still) open
hanging fire
(up) in the air
in limbo
in the balance
on ice
in reserve
in abeyance
ongoing
awaiting attention
outstanding
to be done
undone
not done
unattended to
unfinished
incomplete
left
remaining
on the back burner

    about to happen; imminent.
    "with a presidential election pending, it would be wrong to force the changes through now"
    h
    Similar:
    imminent

impending
about to happen/be
forthcoming
upcoming
on the way
coming
approaching
looming
gathering
prospective
near
nearing
close
close at hand
in the offing
in the wind
to come
-to-be
anticipated

        expected

preposition
preposition: pending

    until (something) happens or takes place.
    "they were released on bail pending an appeal"
    h
    Similar:
    awaiting

waiting for
until
till
before

    until there is/are

Origin
mid 17th century: anglicized spelling of French pendant ‘hanging’.


pend·ing
/ˈpendiNG/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
adjective: pending

    awaiting decision or settlement.
    "nine cases were still pending"
    h
    Similar:
    unresolved

undecided
unsettled
unconcluded
uncertain
awaiting decision
awaiting action
undetermined
(still) open
hanging fire
(up) in the air
in limbo
in the balance
on ice
in reserve
in abeyance
ongoing
awaiting attention
outstanding
to be done
undone
not done
unattended to
unfinished
incomplete
left
remaining
on the back burner

    about to happen; imminent.
    "with a presidential election pending, it would be wrong to force the changes through now"
    h
    Similar:
    imminent

impending
about to happen/be
forthcoming
upcoming
on the way
coming
approaching
looming
gathering
prospective
near
nearing
close
close at hand
in the offing
in the wind
to come
-to-be
anticipated

        expected

preposition
preposition: pending

    until (something) happens or takes place.
    "they were released on bail pending an appeal"
    h
    Similar:
    awaiting

waiting for
until
till
before

    until there is/are