Almost one year....
ago we began to hear about a " dangerous health condition" that was apparently moving at an alarming pace. It didn't sound like great news, but none the less it was being forecasted that it was heading "our way".
I believe the first actual signs in our area that "this virus" had hit was in March around the time of March Break for the students. A little extension for March Break might occur and we would be disrupted for a bit, but life would go on as normal.....so we thought.
It has been quite a year, and I know that I would never have been able to fathom the devastation, heartache, emptiness and sheer magnitude of the presence of Covid-19 in my little hometown, my Province, my country and my world. I still am not 100% sure that I do comprehend the long term effects of where we are right now. I sit with what I can comprehend. I understand what I can, and I do what I can for myself, my family, clients and friends.
I wait with the expectation that I will come out of this current upheaval with a new understanding, new gratitude and a new set of beliefs about myself and my world.
However, I had to make a decision for myself, just like you had to make a decision for yourself as to how you were going to best learn how to "cope" in the times we find ourselves.
We have daily reminders that we are still in the thick of Covid, which can be depleting to say the least. Going for walks in our town, literally stepping off the path and physically distancing to stay away from other people, reminds me of a very negative game that we used to play as kids-"cooties". Every time we cross the street to keep our distance, it breaks a little piece of my heart. It is so opposite of who I am and what I instinctually do.
The last time I remember stepping out of the path of someone it was very deliberate, and it was a form of self preservation. When I was a little girl, I saw a very mean teacher coming down the sidewalk toward me. With my hands sweating and my heart pounding, I ran across the street to get away from her. I will never forget that feeling of fear, desperation and instinct to run.
There will be a lot of press, conversation and messages about how long we have been in "Covid mode" as we come up to the one year marker. This maybe a great time to step back from some or all of the noise, reflect on the positives that have occurred for you personally as a result of the year we have just experienced.
My way of coping with all the negative, is by finding and focusing on all of the positive aspects in my life, my family, my town, my world. Focusing on the negative is not a productive use of time, and it really does not serve you. When I realize what has changed for me because of the opportunity to focus and learn more about myself as a person, I know that the benefits far outweigh the negative, and you can have that too. What I have learned is that harbouring and holding onto the negative does but one thing, and it does it well, it erodes you. It takes the wind out of your own sail, it can actually begin to fester within. Don't let the outside environmental circumstances determine how you get to feel.
What positives can you list that you have experienced during Covid?
How will you be able to continue to focus on these positives when life changes again?
I encourage you to share below to inspire others to look at the positives in their lives.
Wishing you a wonderful day!
Much love,
Denise