I have not posted in quite some time. I took a long and needed break and it is something I believe more of us should do, pandemic or not.
The past 8 months have been challenging to most humans in this world no matter what country you live in. Every country has been affected. Every person has been affected in some way.
Loss and Grief; topics most avoid. BUT they affect all of us.
I have been affected by both most of my life when I think about it. What about you?
Pandemic totally affected me in so many ways. Loss of health, loss of friends, loss of work, loss of freedom as I was used to, loss of a long-term romantic relationship, and by death.
We have to adjust and make choices. Loss and grief whether we like the words; whether we accept the emotions or not, are part of life.
Death and loss are part of the lifecycle. You cannot have one without the other. To be born our body will die one day…
How are you handling all this? How are you emotionally and financially dealing with all this?
Who do you speak to about how you feel or to discuss what you are thinking?
How are you keeping busy? Do you live with others or are you living alone?
NorthernMSW: Advocacy, Education/Guidance on Grief 
Hey Vikki. Hope you enjoyed your break!
So how am I doing… how am I coping? I’m thankful that my wife and I are in a relatively comfortable situation financially, as we are both retired and outside of health insurance – our monthly bills and lifestyle in general are fairly modest. So I’m grateful to be in a situation where money isn’t an incredible stress that we also have to deal with during these uncertain times.
Emotionally… who among us hasn’t dealt with some periods of anxiety and concern the last several months? I know I certainly have. And I find myself wondering sometimes how everything is going to work out, wondering when the day may come that we find ourselves back to somewhat of a more “normal” life. Normal left back in March of this year, and although we still experience brief, intermittent periods of “normal” from day to day (some things in life continue regardless of the pandemic!) – I’m pondering the same question that many of us feel we need to think about regarding traditional family visitations and holiday get-togethers in the next several weeks. Is it really safe for us to get together? Better yet, is it completely necessary? I can only answer that question for me and my family. With my youngest living on the West Coast and being required to spend most of a day in planes and airports with thousands of other people to travel, there’s a lot to consider. At the end of the day, what is MOST important?
That our Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday planning seems to be the most pressing inconvenience at the moment for my immediate family, we feel very fortunate and thankful. Beyond that, my mother requires help to take care of her and she lives 10 hours away. My sister, who would otherwise be looking after her, is in a fierce battle with cancer and dealing with a myriad of associated health issues. I have spent most of the summer traveling back-and-forth for two week periods to help take care of my mom. It has been incredibly difficult, but somehow I’ve managed.
Forgive the cliche, but I’ve been in one-day-at-a-time mode for the past 5 months. That has helped me stay in the moment without feeling overwhelmed and allowed me to stay focused and mindful about my own mental health. My wife and I also make it a point to find something enjoyable to do together at least one or two hours each day when I’m home and not traveling to my mom’s. These “happy” breaks have proven to be really effective for me. No matter what is going on, we find a couple hours each day to have fun and enjoy ourselves.
It doesn’t take away the fact that life is still challenging at times, but it helps keep me moving forward, one day at a time. 🙂
The best advice I could possibly offer someone dealing with a lot of stuff in their lives is to make the time to do something enjoyable. Read a good book, go for a walk, watch an uplifting movie, listen to music, or just pray and meditate… these things can be incredibly valuable tools for our sanity and contentment.
I’m reminded of an old saying:
“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
I hope you are well and safe today. 🙂
I am so sorry to read you are going through all this. 💖
My break from here was needed as I was focusing on improving my health and mindset.
As for the holidays I get it. Me in Canada and the rest of my family in USA and borders still closed. My holidays will be here considering things worsen daily again in Canada; 2nd wave almost declared with restrictions in place where I am. No socialization allowed in private homes and events is 25 or less for religious institutions.
I have not seen a friend or family member live as in-person since May…
Times as we are in force us to look within and I have done this. I focus on hobbies, improving my health, personal development, and creative outlets like painting, sketching, knitting. Love listening to music. Next for me is to play it again.
Not into TV or movies and have not watched either since May. Holiday time will want me watching holiday movies though; nothing like the classics😊🙏