Reflections on a Year of Challenges and Growth: Coping and Connecting Amidst the Pandemic
This last year has felt like... a decade? An eon? So much has been lost and so much has shifted. And yet... somehow, here we are. It can be hard to wrap our heads around such an intense year-- full of fear, loss, and injustice. How do we make meaning and foster growth from all of this? Personal reflection and storytelling are just two ways we can begin to process. So, here we go.
Coping with Corona... it's been a little over a year since I spoke to Michelle Johnson @skillinaction during those beginning months of the pandemic. Check out the original video. One year later, we asked... what personal experiences from the last year stand out to you and in what way? Here's what Michelle had to say:
“So much. I have been grounded for a year. No airplanes or different timezones. It has felt like a gift to allow my body and heart to settle at home. While isolation from friends and family has been difficult, and being online all of the time has been hard, I am grateful to have been at home. I've been able to spend time with my partner and his children. We've eaten good food and had "family" time, and it has been wonderful.
They have been my pod, and thank goodness for a pod. I've felt the seasons, and the change from summer to fall, winter to spring has felt profound. I've been touched by how many people want to connect even if it is online and are tired of zoom. People are hungry for connection and have been innovative in creating ways to continue to connect during a pandemic. I have loved the zoom goddess circles, dance parties on zoom, and, when possible, sitting around the fire with a small group of people while staying six feet apart.
Lastly, my mother was sick, not with Covid-19, although looking back, I think she did have it, but with infection and illness that debilitated her twice in 2019. She moved into a retirement community in late February 2020. She has been well for a year, and while I haven't seen her that much, I have gotten to see her twice since Covid-19 ravaged our lives. She is well and thriving, and I am grateful to have more time with her.” -Michelle Johnson
Your turn! We’d love to get to know you better and hear your stories. The good, the bad, the surprising, and the unexpected. Hit reply and let us know... what personal experiences from the last year stand out to you and in what way?
Warmly,
Tejal
