Like so many of us, I've been feeling all the feels these days. And lately, I've settled into a swinging pattern of optimism and denial, which (so far) is working for me.
It's not so much the isolation, the working from home or the homeschooling, because those are things I did before COVID19 turned our world upside down.
Really, it's not knowing what will happen next, (how many months, how many lives), that is weighing heavy on my mind.
But then again, when did we ever know what was coming for us?
Let's face it, life has always been unpredictable.
Job security, health, safety, relationships... it can all come crumbling down at any time, with or without a global pandemic.
All any of us can do is take the time to be grateful for what we do have and to focus on the things which are within our control.
We can choose to eat well.
We can choose to rest.
We can choose to exercise.
We can choose to talk, email or video chat with family and friends.
We can choose to smile at our kids.
We can choose to study a new language, learn how to draw, or figure out how to bake bread.
We can choose to thank those who continue to work providing essential services, even though it puts them at risk.
We can choose to laugh when our prime minister uses the word moistly.
Or, we can choose not to do any of it.
One thing’s for sure, we all need to cut ourselves some slack while we collectively navigate new ways of working, parenting and living with (or without) one another.
But like all things, this too shall pass, especially if we choose to stay isolated until the danger to ourselves and others is no longer so great.
People will die.
We will mourn.
People will heal.
We will celebrate.
And when things eventually return to normal, we will either move forward with clarity or slide backward with fear.
Either way, the choice will be entirely up to us.
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