What Grief Can Teach Us During a Global Pandemic
I can't predict the future but I think that I know that this pandemic will be with us forever. It will change things, change us. It will be shitty, it will get worse before it gets better, and we will never be entirely in control of it.
That doesn't, however, mean we can't find a way through it. We can learn from it. I'm not talking about finding a silver lining or whitewashing over the difficult truths. Terrible things have happened, terrible things are still happening, and terrible things will continue to happen. But learning and adapting is the only way forward and there are good things to learn. It's already happening.
In my personal grief journey, many surprising things have started to happen as a result of my heart being shattered open. Things I once sneered at or held in disdain are bringing so much joy to my heart during this difficult time. Romantic sentiment? I'm a goner. Pop music? So fun (hi, Taylor)! My heart has room for connection and joy and not much room left for fear. One of the worst things that can happen, losing your partner, has already happened and that changes everything. Similarly, I'm beginning to see this sense of connection happening in real time as people build community online in their social distancing. Every few seconds, it seems, someone is starting a live video on Instagram. An old high school friend @drewbrownmusic has begun to do mini concerts on Instagram and I joined in for the first couple. It was fun and super heartwarming to think of all of us together at the same time sharing something through our little handheld computers.
I have also had, you may have noticed, this urge to create and share with the world during this time of grief and more so now during this time of global uncertainty. I have been writing a lot of poems, taking notes of random thoughts, and writing on this old blog again. I also did my first Instagram live video the other day doing a poetry reading. It is something that I will continue to do. (So stay tuned to @moreautricot if you are interested). I'm hoping that this renewal of creative energy will build up to a tipping point where I can face all the difficult decisions and hard things I know I still need to do.
We still have a lot of hard things to face and difficult problems to solve, both collectively and as individuals. Horrible, scary things are happening in the world. We are capable of the embracing our humanity and what connects us. We can hold these truths in our minds at the same time.
That doesn't, however, mean we can't find a way through it. We can learn from it. I'm not talking about finding a silver lining or whitewashing over the difficult truths. Terrible things have happened, terrible things are still happening, and terrible things will continue to happen. But learning and adapting is the only way forward and there are good things to learn. It's already happening.
In my personal grief journey, many surprising things have started to happen as a result of my heart being shattered open. Things I once sneered at or held in disdain are bringing so much joy to my heart during this difficult time. Romantic sentiment? I'm a goner. Pop music? So fun (hi, Taylor)! My heart has room for connection and joy and not much room left for fear. One of the worst things that can happen, losing your partner, has already happened and that changes everything. Similarly, I'm beginning to see this sense of connection happening in real time as people build community online in their social distancing. Every few seconds, it seems, someone is starting a live video on Instagram. An old high school friend @drewbrownmusic has begun to do mini concerts on Instagram and I joined in for the first couple. It was fun and super heartwarming to think of all of us together at the same time sharing something through our little handheld computers.
I have also had, you may have noticed, this urge to create and share with the world during this time of grief and more so now during this time of global uncertainty. I have been writing a lot of poems, taking notes of random thoughts, and writing on this old blog again. I also did my first Instagram live video the other day doing a poetry reading. It is something that I will continue to do. (So stay tuned to @moreautricot if you are interested). I'm hoping that this renewal of creative energy will build up to a tipping point where I can face all the difficult decisions and hard things I know I still need to do.
We still have a lot of hard things to face and difficult problems to solve, both collectively and as individuals. Horrible, scary things are happening in the world. We are capable of the embracing our humanity and what connects us. We can hold these truths in our minds at the same time.
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