Ever since COVID-19 started making headlines, I had a stirring in my gut that told me this would be something bigger than we could imagine. Yet, here we are, and I certainly didn't imagine this. These times truly are extraordinary.
What a word. Extraordinary. Ex-traordinary. Extra-ordinary. Extraordinary. A word that, I'm sure, held a positive association for the majority of us, for most of our lives. Suddenly, I'm fascinated by just how fluid and yet complex that word really is. These times are extraordinary - without the normal excitement we've come to associate with the word.
Many of us are out of work. Let go because of lack of business, or perhaps we aren't essential services. Some are working from home with a number of new factors. Perhaps their kids are home too, young or old. Others are working in essential services - mail carriers, delivery services, health care workers, custodians and more. Even still, some are modifying their business to stay open, to try and make ends meet and keep their doors open amid the chaos.
Some of us are sleeping and living away from our partners, missing them dearly but knowing that it is for our health and safety. Some of us are living in unhealthy relationships, with nowhere to turn to. Some of us are living alone, and feeling more alone than ever. And some of us just are living. Many, I'm sure, are living with worry, fear, uncertainty. Some coping with loved ones in the hospital. Loved ones that have compromised immune systems. Loved ones that may be pregnant.
And yet - we're all here. We're all human. We all want to stay healthy, to live. To return to 'normal'. We want extraordinary to disappear.
.....I don't know what to write. I want to write something poetic. Something impactful. Something with meaning. But how? There are thousands of us sick in our province, hundreds of thousands across the world. People are without their jobs, causing stress and for many - choosing between rent or mortgage and food. Children aren't in school. Recreational activities are cancelled. Social events, helpful for many of our own mental well-being, are unable to take place.
Some of us are scared. Some of us are in denial. Some of us just are. We're grieving, in our own way, at our own pace, in our own unique situation. We all have different circumstances. We all have changes we're facing, that we didn't anticipate. We're learning as we go. We don't know when that learning will stop.
Will I hug my grandparents again someday? I hope so. Will I return to my office, where I left photos of loved ones? Where I feel purpose, accomplishment and compassion? One day. But I don't know when.
Every day is different and new, without clarity. My priorities keep changing. I have days where I feel like I should be productive. Days where I feel like I can't get out from under the covers. I have moments where I want to cry. Moments where I want to dance. And sometimes, they're just minutes apart those moments.
These are extraordinary times. We are all extraordinary. We are all warriors. We are all human.
In a time where I, for once, am without words, let's keep it simple. Be kind. Don't judge - you never know what someone else is coping with. Take it slow. Cry if you want to. Yell if you need to. Be angry. Be scared. Just be. Love. Remember to breathe and know that one day, things will no longer be extraordinary. They'll just be ordinary.
Xoxo,
S
What a word. Extraordinary. Ex-traordinary. Extra-ordinary. Extraordinary. A word that, I'm sure, held a positive association for the majority of us, for most of our lives. Suddenly, I'm fascinated by just how fluid and yet complex that word really is. These times are extraordinary - without the normal excitement we've come to associate with the word.
Many of us are out of work. Let go because of lack of business, or perhaps we aren't essential services. Some are working from home with a number of new factors. Perhaps their kids are home too, young or old. Others are working in essential services - mail carriers, delivery services, health care workers, custodians and more. Even still, some are modifying their business to stay open, to try and make ends meet and keep their doors open amid the chaos.
Some of us are sleeping and living away from our partners, missing them dearly but knowing that it is for our health and safety. Some of us are living in unhealthy relationships, with nowhere to turn to. Some of us are living alone, and feeling more alone than ever. And some of us just are living. Many, I'm sure, are living with worry, fear, uncertainty. Some coping with loved ones in the hospital. Loved ones that have compromised immune systems. Loved ones that may be pregnant.
And yet - we're all here. We're all human. We all want to stay healthy, to live. To return to 'normal'. We want extraordinary to disappear.
.....I don't know what to write. I want to write something poetic. Something impactful. Something with meaning. But how? There are thousands of us sick in our province, hundreds of thousands across the world. People are without their jobs, causing stress and for many - choosing between rent or mortgage and food. Children aren't in school. Recreational activities are cancelled. Social events, helpful for many of our own mental well-being, are unable to take place.
Some of us are scared. Some of us are in denial. Some of us just are. We're grieving, in our own way, at our own pace, in our own unique situation. We all have different circumstances. We all have changes we're facing, that we didn't anticipate. We're learning as we go. We don't know when that learning will stop.
Will I hug my grandparents again someday? I hope so. Will I return to my office, where I left photos of loved ones? Where I feel purpose, accomplishment and compassion? One day. But I don't know when.
Every day is different and new, without clarity. My priorities keep changing. I have days where I feel like I should be productive. Days where I feel like I can't get out from under the covers. I have moments where I want to cry. Moments where I want to dance. And sometimes, they're just minutes apart those moments.
These are extraordinary times. We are all extraordinary. We are all warriors. We are all human.
In a time where I, for once, am without words, let's keep it simple. Be kind. Don't judge - you never know what someone else is coping with. Take it slow. Cry if you want to. Yell if you need to. Be angry. Be scared. Just be. Love. Remember to breathe and know that one day, things will no longer be extraordinary. They'll just be ordinary.
Xoxo,
S
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