Well we have had months since the impact of Covid 19 hit us all. It was like a lorry plowing into a shop window with the devastation it has caused. We have all felt it in one way or another and some people appear to have coped with it better than others. Tens of thousands of people have died and the families and friends of those people have had to deal with their grief as well as managing their lives during the lockdown.
The one thing that I have found when talking to other people is that it has affected us all in one way or another. Our reaction to the changes we have had to make affects our mental and our physical health. The majority of people I talk to speak of having good and bad days. Someone said to me this morning that she had some real "highs" but also the other extreme of "lows" in her mental and emotional health. I can truly identify with that.
One other person (from this morning, and I hope he doesn't mind me using the word he did) was the feeling of "grief". Suddenly it dawned on me that was behind almost all of the bad days I had experienced.
When we lose something, whether that be temporary or permanent, we go through a grieving process. When we lose a loved one we know they have left their earthly life and we will never spend time with them like we did before. It may be their understanding of us, their ability to make us laugh, or their ability to make us feel special to them; we miss these things and go through a grieving process.
It's the same with the weeks/months of lockdown. I have really missed lots of things when I think about it. Here are a just few:
- My work
- A hair cut!
- Going to the pub
- Eating out
- Travel
- Socilaising with family
- Socialising with friends
These are not in any particular order of rank!
When I look at my list, they all have one thing in common: people. I truly crave the company of others, I always have. I'm better with my own company than I used to be, but I'm still not great and rarely plan time on my own. That part of me which needs to be with others has been somewhat neglected much of this year so far. It's great to be able to catch up with others via social media or video meetings etc. It's just never quite the same as meeting someone face to face.
I absolutley adore love theatre and will see a show whenever I can. You can easliy see just about anything from the comfort of your own home via TV, streaming a film or even the streaming of live performances. They are good and I can enjoy them but I don't get that same sense of excitement I do when I see something live. It's all connected to that "people thing". I'll avoid any reference to the "herding instinct".
So that's me. Many of these things are starting to come back gradually, some may take longer, others may never be quite the same.
What are you grieving for due to Covid 19? I'd love to hear from you.
Have a good Friday and a great weekend!
Geoff.