I have to admit, it was a little bit hard coming up with a good blog topic this morning.
We're living in unprecedented times. Fear and uncertainty are everywhere around us.
Social events are being postponed or canceled and we're told to distance ourselves from others to protect the general population.
Now more than ever, we need to keep our heads on straight. Use common sense and be cautious and diligent.
I see the chaos around me and I worry about the state of our world as we try to navigate this.
But I'm not here to get on a soapbox and share my opinions on that.
I'm going to blog today about how I think we can learn from this and renew our focus on what's really important in life.
I'm reminded of a picture I took at my aunt's house a few years ago of an empty bench in her backyard.
It was overgrown with weeds, but still functional. And so beautiful against the backdrop of the trees, the green grass and the swimming pond.
To me, that empty bench symbolizes our loss of human connection.
Instead of sitting together, enjoying a beautiful sunny day, we all too often sit on our devices, lost in our own thoughts, oblivious to those around us.
How much more connected could we be if we sat together on that bench? Maybe one of us resting our head on the other's shoulder? Or holding hands?
I know it seems counter-intuitive for me to talk about human connection when we are supposed to limit actual physical contact right now.
But I'm not just talking about physical connection.
I'm talking about emotional and mental connection. The kind you get from an actual conversation...about things that matter.
In times like this, we need human connection more than ever. We need to feel safe and loved and important.
I challenge you today to take these actions to stay connected, both to other humans and to yourself :
Use your phone to call someone you love instead of scrolling through social media and feeding into the panic.
FaceTime with your grandparents or family so you can share a smile and tell them how much you love them
Engage in an online chat about real life with that friend you only talk to through memes on Facebook
Write a physical letter (with an actual pen!) and send it to someone you know who may be alone right now
Play a game with your family and actually talk to each other while you do it
Go outside and sit in your backyard and soak up the sunshine
Take a walk and breathe in the fresh air
Sit in the silence and reflect on all of the things in life that make you grateful
Pet your cat or your dog and remember how they can support you just by being there
Maybe by doing these things we can find our way back to each other and to our true center.
We can't continue to let that bench sit empty.
Let's come out of this stronger on the other side.
Who's with me?
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