if you know what it's like to hold all the plans and expectations loosely, because at any moment, things may change, you'll be ok.
if you don't, you can learn, and you'll be ok.
if you've never worked in healthcare, the idea of singing a song while you wash your hands has maybe never occurred to you before. now, you've been introduced to the concept.
you may have a loved one in hospice care and are not able to visit. you may have postponed a wedding. you may have a friend or relative with a new baby that you want to meet.
human connection is necessary.
you may be feeling helpless.
you may have a tournament or a presentation or a really important meeting that you have practiced and trained and prepared for that is just not going to happen.
you may have just completed the sign-up for a sport or a class and paid the fees and bought the equipment only to realize that the first weeks or the entire duration may not happen.
you might have had the most wonderful vacation planned and are now not going.
you may be spending time at home with people you don't usually spend a whole lot of time with. you might love this. or you might need to learn how to love this. or you might need to survive this.
you may find yourself feeling like this a great time to reset. you may feel peaceful or even energized.
you may find your self feeling anxious, about the physical affects of the virus, about the dramatic change to so many things that had been normal parts of life, about your current situation, about the situations of others.
you may find yourself angry and feeling like there is a whole lot of over-reacting going on.
you may believe the conspiracy theories (you might have one of your own).
you may be slightly sick and feeling crummy.
you may be one of the people still going to work. this may make you feel super glad or super strange.
you may be working from home and feeling like your workload is even heavier than if you were going to the office.
you might not be able to work now, and you may be wondering just how long the money from the most recent paycheck will last.
i don't believe that there is one of us who isn't affected in some way. i don't believe there is anyone of us who doesn't have something we have had to let go of.
i know that for us, for our kids, this is par for the course. it doesn't make it easy, but it isn't uncharted territory. the advice i would give, is feel the feels. let yourself navigate the sadness, anger, loss, anxiety, all of the feelings. and then look objectively at the situation. count some blessings. look for the glimmers of good. and give yourself a good pep talk. know that you can make it through and come out even better.
something i tell myself (and friends in tough situations) is, let yourself have a day. cry if you need to. stomp and yell if you need to. feel really, really bad. but don't unpack and live there. move on. don't let the low day win. you win. you flex your muscles and do the hard things. and find the next joy. there will be more joy.
hold your plans and expectations loosely, and look for the glimmers of joy.
go gently, love fiercely, and be wonderful.
love, e