If you are one who has not lost a love one to COVID-19 or experienced the terror and angst of waiting and not knowing whether your loved one would survive, then you may not know the horrific fear, grief and loss experienced by the ones that have. Its one of those things that we can only imagine without the emotional trauma of the real-life experience. And because evidence shows that a positive diagnosis could result in mild symptoms or severe illness that could likely lead to death, we dread being tested. How many times have you coughed or felt fatigue, that it did not cross your mind, is this it? Is this my turn? You may have had these symptoms many times before, but is now different? So, you wait or maybe you don’t. Maybe you get tested and still wait. And the relief and excitement you feel from learning that your results are negative, and you are safe. Covid-19 has gone on far longer than we expected, with no real end in sight. Vaccinations give us hope, but with uncertainty because so few have received the treatment. And there are so many unanswered questions. We do what human beings do. We adjust to a new normal. And the effect of Covid-19 continues to impact us in ways that we don’t know or understand. We have al learned things about our selves and others during this time of quarantine and isolation. We have experienced a gamut of emotions from day to day. Share these emotions with a friend and loved one you trust. Send a text to just say hello, I am thinking of you. COVID has reminded us of just how precious life is. How much we need each other. Talk about your loneliness, fear, sadness and yes, joy. Because there is joy. We need to know that good things are still happening, because if we do not share it, we certainly will not hear about it in the news. All the newsworthy events are full of pain, hurt and hatred. As we approach summer, anxious to become social again, let us be kind, considerate of others, follow the CDC guidelines and continue to engage in critical conversations.
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