Believe it or not, there is peace that prevails during a pandemic. I believe in the power of words and so I won’t type the name or acronym of “the virus” a single time in this post. We all are quite familiar. While I realize that so many have been impacted in painful and uncertain ways by the current state of affairs, this post is dedicated to the silver linings. These sparkling moments are what keep me going in times of uncertainty and this new normal. Let’s take a look at some of the peace that prevails (at least for me) during a pandemic.
Family First
By now many of us are under quarantine by way of state mandates as we work to minimize the spread of this thing. For those that are at home with our families, this is a time to truly get to know one another. Think about the routines we had prior to this event. We barely saw one another. Our lives were governed by where we had to be (i.e., work, school, practice, daycare, etc.). This left very little time to appreciate and enjoy one another’s company – or to just be.
With the ever present digital device, it seems that we are all in our own worlds. These devices have turned into our individual escapes or coping mechanisms when faced with a rough day. Whether chatting with our own circle of friends, watching YouTube videos or scrolling through social media the fact remains – we were not talking to each other. I am grateful for the time we are being afforded to enjoy and discover ourselves as a family. In the very near future, we’ll have movie nights, game nights and photoshoots. We’re making progress and memories.
During this time I have had more conversations, given more kisses and hugs and laughed so much more than ever before. This is my peace.
Inner Work
Admittedly, I have spent way too much time on social media and installed a new bubble pop game that I will be deleting very soon. Today – on the eve of Resurrection Sunday – I am recommitting to me. I need to keep my face in the book instead of on Facebook, meditate, drink my tea and write my affirmations. I will be rising before the house “wakes up” – just for me. This has worked well in the past and so it begins again. It is a must.
When there is chaos all around us, we are advised to “Seek ye first the Kingdom”. This situation has reminded me that God is Love and lives within. That being said, when there is chaos all around us – go within. I like to believe that that’s where we meet our Creator.
It is no secret that I have not been a regular church goer for years. Though I love the experience, it is not conducive to our family dynamic. I have been enjoying an occasional livestream on Sunday mornings, but there is more work to be done. This work requires time, consistency, commitment, surrender and vulnerability. It is so.
Gratitude
Hearing of loss – jobs, family members, benefits, relationships – all due to our current situation – breaks my heart. This gives me more reason to be grateful and express gratitude for the little things that I perhaps had been taking for granted. As my eyes open each morning, I begin mumbling or head speaking the things for which I am grateful. I make a choice to focus on the good. As an empath, this was quite challenging in the beginning. I found myself feeling horrible about what I knew others were facing. The best way for me to combat those feelings was to give thanks and be very intentional in my prayers.
No matter how you are impacted by these uncertain times, there are so many ways to preserve and respect your peace. In the moment, things may seem awful. If you dig deep enought, you’ll find something for which you can be grateful. Keep going…
Peace and Love.
