WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ...
I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.
For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.
For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.
With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.
Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.
Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.
Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.
Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.
Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.
Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.
Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.
We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.
Unknown author
There is a poem circulating on social media explaining that "we're all in the same storm, but we're not all in the same boat". That's a pretty good metaphor for all of life really. In my house, we are lucky to have health, no missing of monumental milestones (like graduation), and a job where we already had Dad at home all the time. So, yes, we are grateful for that and recognize our blessings. But, we have had disappointments and life interruptions - an indoor percussion season that got suddenly cut short for my oldest two, resulting in the loss of time with friends, competition, and two road trips; friends being kept inside instead of hanging out with my youngest; a school day that is entirely online instead of cooking in Culinary, teaching lessons in a real life preschool, learning new percussion techniques, performing concerts, auditioning for the fall marching season, and giving performances in theater and Junior Thespians; the first summer performing and traveling with friends that share and understand your passion for music and spur you on to greater things - all ripped away.
Your story is different, but you too have things that are unexpected blessings and things that you've lost. It's a surreal time that feels like a sweet dream or nightmare at any given moment. It's made harder, because it has become increasingly polarized, yet is still confusing and unknown. We all have lots of theories, but really, we just have a lot of questions. That uncertainty is frustrating.
So, we take it day by day, and hope for the best. But, I get anxious as talk of change takes place with no definitive plan or timeline. I wish for my children to have normalcy, because this next school year will only come once for them. Rachel will only have one junior year of high school; Hannah will only be in 7th grade once. Plans for marching season start before this school year even ends. Will band camp happen? Will there be anything to do over the summer? Time will soon tell, but I've got to tell you, I'm tired of the uncertainty. I love having my kids home all the time, but I hate that they are being robbed of things that are important to them. I miss having other kids over and seeing my kids perform. The lack of "schedule stress" is great, but it comes at a price. That's part of my story.
What is your story? My friend coined the term, "Covid-Joy", and shares her covid-joys with us on Facebook and Instagram. That friend is one of the most positive people I know, and her choice to share her joy is a ministry that blesses thousands.
So, what is your covid-joy? One of mine was having my son really tune in to me when I was having an especially tough weekend, frustrated with the constant negativity of news. He sent me John Krasinski's "Some Good News" broadcast, and it made my day. John decided to continue his broadcast and even has thrown a virtual prom. You can check out his YouTube channel here:
So, what is your covid-joy? One of mine was having my son really tune in to me when I was having an especially tough weekend, frustrated with the constant negativity of news. He sent me John Krasinski's "Some Good News" broadcast, and it made my day. John decided to continue his broadcast and even has thrown a virtual prom. You can check out his YouTube channel here:
And, it's okay to be frustrated, angry even. It doesn't mean that you don't care about people or all the families that have lost loved ones. I think it almost means the opposite, that we were made for relationships.
