A Helping Hand

 Photo by Pedro Figueras from Pexels

Sometimes life can feel like we are just wandering around in a fog, randomly bumping into people and things. I know I certainly feel that way at times, usually on Mondays after a long or stressful weekend. But with the unprecedented complications a lot of us have these days, that fog seems to be thicker than usual. There are so many decisions to be made that change almost daily. There are conflicting messages all over the news, our social media, and among our friends and family. Are masks effective? Should we be dining in at restaurants? Is it safe to send our children to school? These are questions about situations that we have never before given much thought to.

As if these daily reminders that we are living in a different world are not enough, we are often bombarded with aggressive, opposing opinions, usually by complete strangers. This is a prime example of the old saying "the best and worst part of the internet is everybody has a voice".

How, then, do we make it through our day feeling like we are enough?

We reach for the other hands wading through the fog. The best way to feel grounded is by connecting with like-minded people - people who can lend an understanding ear, help put things in a different perspective, and who can motivate you to believe in yourself. Simply knowing that we are not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the disaster our children have turned our home into or by the entourage of questionable and seemingly constantly changing circumstances we are in is oftentimes enough to recenter ourselves.

Photo by bin Ziegler from Pexels

This is why it is so important to find a community (or build one!) that is safe and welcoming. Luckily, we live in a day and age when this is done much easier than previous generations. There are Facebook groups for nearly every interest imaginable, there are blogs (such as this one!), virtual book clubs, you can even create watch parties with your friends and family. I haven't tried that last one yet, but I'm dying to do a virtual playdate/movie for my boys!

The pandemic has shaken all of us up and made us look at life a little differently, but it's important to remember that we are not alone. And while it has stretched our creativity when it comes to feeling connected to the world, I hope that it has also deepened our knowledge of how important it is to be kind to one another. As the Master of my sons' taekwondo school says, "we are all in the same storm, but not in the same boat." Everyone has their battles to fight and no one should have to fight them alone.