A Time to be Strong

I didn’t plan on this post. It’s six hours before a different one was scheduled to release, and I decided to change it. Don’t worry, that post will still publish, now on April 17. ;)

I hesitated to write this because to be perfectly honest, I was getting tired of hearing all the talk about COVID-19. I don’t want to be insensitive to my friends who are anxious (and I’m always available to talk, ya’ll), but I didn’t want to add to the mayhem of voices talking about it. I wanted my social media and blog to be the one place you could come to and find a sense of normality. But as the situation has grown, it’s come to affect us all in one way or another, and I felt like maybe it would be good to acknowledge what I can’t ignore anymore.

I admit, at first, I thought people were blowing COVID-19 out of proportion. Maybe they were. I didn’t feel like it was as much of a crisis as people were making it out to be. But, regardless of the actual or perceived danger of the virus itself, because of the reactions and protocols, the situation has turned into somewhat of an emergency that’s affecting us all.

Stores are running low on supplies. An event I planned to help run a booth at was cancelled. My church has been cancelled for at least the next two weeks. I know two people who’ve been laid off their jobs. I work in an investing coaching office and over the past week, I’ve listened to my boss reassuring many anxious clients through this time of downward market volatility. One of our coaching events had to be cancelled because it would’ve been a gathering of too many people. The coffee shop and restaurant I frequent are closed except for takeout orders. My mom is out of state; I don’t know if her flight home will be cancelled or when I’ll see her again. A girl from my writers’ group is showing symptoms of the virus. I don’t know what else will change.

While I know I’ve not been affected as much as I could be, a strange peace and even joy has infiltrated this time of unknown for me. Yes, I’m getting exhausted. Yes, I can get worried if I think about all the changes for too long. Yes, I’m concerned that upcoming trips I was looking forward to will be cancelled. Yes, I want to go back to normal. But I’m okay. Because of three things:

1)      My God is in control. He sees us and He’s got us. I’m not afraid to die. I just want to live well with the time I’m given here.

2)      I have community. This is a time when people need to come together and look out for each other, not themselves. I’m blessed to be in a group like that.

3)      I’m a dork. And so, I see the good in this, as far as writing goes. Now I can go, “Oh, these are the feelings and reactions people would’ve had during the Black Plague, or the Spanish Flu (WWI), or the Atomic Age (C.S. Lewis wrote an incredibly relevant piece on this). Now I know what to write when I write my historical fiction set during the time of the Spanish Flu.” I will label that as keeping my eyes open and always learning.

If you’re worried about the virus, or just straight up exhausted, take a break from it by making a list of things to be thankful for. Look out for others. What can you do to make someone’s day in this time? Take advantage of extra time to get things done you wouldn’t usually have time for. Look for ways to turn this into something good. And live strong, friends.

See you next week. :)

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“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

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