I haven't had time to focus on my writing for some time now and the recent global events have forced a lot of roles onto parents with children or elderly parents. Like the 7 stages of grief, the seven stages of social isolation have set in everywhere and changed the world dynamics.
It is easy to opine about the ramifications of the pandemic from the safety of our homes. We are the few that can work from home, isolate ourselves without fear of losing our livelihood. So many more are not as fortunate. Others are thrown in the front line of a war where the rules of engagement keep changing and the generals are as blind as the soldiers following them.
Overcoming the crippling battle against the helplessness we fail becomes a very real fight for everyone. Each of us is fighting a battle we must face alone but there are whole groups of us that are in a similar fight: the ones who are out there every day seeing the ones affected from this disease firsthand, to the others fighting for their last breaths in overcrowded hospitals, to the ones struggling to make the last loaf of bread last, mental trauma is slowly worsening.
Emotionally connecting with friends and family is imperative in these times. In the sphere of video calling and texting, sharing your feelings is but a keyboard away. Reaching out to anyone can be crucial for our health - making someone feel good will release the endorphins that will make you, in turn, feel better.
Beware of this emotional distance that will have repercussions far beyond the physical ones we are experiencing. We are seeing the death tolls increasing daily - and not just from the disease itself. Seek help if you are thinking you cannot take it anymore. And for those of us who are more fortunate, give help even if it is just a video call chat. You never know the plight of the person on the other end. Bridge the emotional distance even when maintaining the social and physical one for that is the only battle we can fight.