Perhaps you have experienced some of the same feelings I have in this past week?
First, as the days go by and I have less on my calendar in which to look forward to attending, I have a harder time trying to remember which day of the week it is! Usually I plan ahead and prepare every night for the following day’s activities. Now, other than online webinars or medical appointments, there isn’t much to look forward to every week. My birthday is at the end of the month and I usually celebrate with many friends going to favorite restaurants and spreading it out over a month. Now I don’t even know if I’ll get to celebrate it, except here alone at home with my cats. I can bake myself a cake but I really don’t want to eat an entire cake alone and the cats won’t help me with that part! Volunteers?
Secondly, the confinement is definitely getting harder, and a big part of that is missing family/friends and having family members who need support during their own health challenges. My son has been out of state staying with a sister of mine for spring break for three weeks and is coming home this week, but I probably shouldn’t be spending time with him. My grandson will be staying there with his mom and other siblings. I’ve seen other families on the news that have similar feelings of separation during hospitalizations, deaths, and the like. Everyone just wants to be there to hug, to care for and help, but yet you are not supposed to leave home.
On his show Thom Hartmann talked this week on air about all of us suffering from the emotion ‘grief’ this week. How true! We each have our own griefs…what we are missing….be it school, work, hanging out with friends, shopping, physical activities, vacationing, or just going on a drive in the mountains. Acknowledge those feelings and we can trust that we will all be back to them as soon as possible. I may have stated before, but I had some of the similar feelings when I lost my job in 2012. It took a bit of time to grieve that loss, and then I got busy. I feel like I am starting to plan more things to get done at home now as well.
Because I am empathetic, I also strongly feel the weight of this worldwide crisis. My ex used to say I carried the world on my shoulders. It’s also possible that I watch too much news to keep informed and to share information with others as communication is also one of my strengths (hence I blog, etc.). Consequentially, I had my first crying melt down mid-week. It’s all so sad, and I know that so many are suffering from job losses, along with the fear of the virus, or being sick with it, or grieving the loss of loved ones. I want to help everyone, but know I can’t. I donated to a few causes this week, and will begin making face masks since I have craft supplies on hand and brought my sewing machine up from the basement where I can see TV or outdoors while sewing (can’t downstairs).
Helping others is always a good way to take focus off from ourselves and our woes! Hopefully you can find a way by donating time, money, face masks, or just helping a neighbor get some groceries. And that being said, beware that there are many scammers out there too trying to take your money.