It feels as though the words “troubling times” and “in the midst of a pandemic” are tattooed onto our vocabularies forever. A series of words to describe the troubling, confusing, and uncertain times seems to fill everyone’s vocabulary. The uncertainty of it all can be overwhelming. The question of “what lies ahead?” is on everyone’s mind. And what does lie ahead?
We’ve been waiting for what lays ahead for a year now. And now, almost a year after the pandemic began, it feels as though there is an amount of expected uncertainty and negative feelings in these troubling times.
Sometimes I’m still caught off guard in this masked plexiglas world – as if I might turn the corner and it magically not be there anymore – but that’s not the case. Instead, these are things the pandemic has taught me.
SOLITUDE
There’s beauty in solitude – in journaling, facemasks (the other kind), reading, watching movies of which you already know the ending, and an array of other things. Self-care comes in a variety of forms. Taking time for yourself to process things is essential. I started the pandemic when I was 17. I’m almost 19 now and I’m still trying to grasp that fact.
CHERISH THE GOOD THINGS
Even in these dark times, we shouldn’t forget to still cherish the good moments. Take pictures, videos, smile, and laugh when you feel like it. It’s not all good but a lot of it is – appreciate it.
BE A FRIEND
Be there for people, in every way. I think the pandemic taught me how to be there more for people because at times I couldn’t be there physically, but I would still find a way whether over text, FaceTime, or something else.
And lastly, we are all a bit more similar than for what we give ourselves credit. If you feel alone – you’re not. If you feel like everyone is doing something but you – that isn’t true.
It’s a weird time because it feels like we are half alone and half not. But nevertheless, we are all together in some way. If you feel alone. you’re not.