As I sit on the stoep, sewing a button on my shorts, I am reminded of the Zen poem that touched me in the midst of our hard lockdown: “Master, how can I face isolation?” It speaks so beautifully of the benefit of retreat, away from our familiar social interactions and identity. I was grateful for the meditation practices I have learnt that allow me to face my inner dragons with compassion, and felt prepared for the time. More, though, it highlighted for me, the mirror-like relationship between our inner and outer worlds. When we care for one with intentionality, the other is cared for too.