“Am I the only one like this?”

A common question during the pandemic. Separated from friends, broken off from daily routine; in many cases, unable to go to work or do what gives you meaning.

I understand. Many people feel upset. I understand. It is normal to feel upset and, in fact, you are not alone. Though you may not see others, and though it may be hard to imagine, there are millions of people just like you. People who feel lonely. People who are seriously struggling. People who just sort of built up this expectation that something special was supposed to happen this year before COVID struck. People who are bummed out.

It is okay to feel this way. In fact, I would say it would be unusual for you not to feel this way. We have all been impacted by this pandemic. Our lives have all been upended suddenly, some way by this pandemic.

The good news is that this struggle is temporary, even if it seems forever. You may feel like time is frozen, like you are spending whole days staring at a fly buzzing about in your room as the needle of the clock taunts you in the background.

But this struggle is temporary. Already, the best and brightest among us are working to create a vaccine. And slowly, but surely, the calendar days will be crossed off, one by one. You will be assisted by finding something joyful in each day that will carry you to the next one after it.

Maybe it is the summer. Maybe, like me, you appreciate the kiss of the cool breeze upon your skin. Maybe you may even comfort in the peace and solitude.

And before you know it, we will be back to regular life. And you know what I just realized? It is going to be even more awesome than we anticipate.

They say you never really appreciate something until it’s gone. Well, imagine how much more you will appreciate being able to meet with friends again. Imagine how you will savor the touch of a loved one you have not seen for an epoch. Contrast the comfort of a steady life with this daily chaos.

So however you feel now, it is okay. It really is. We as a species will get over this. This pandemic will end. Our masks will be shed, our freedoms restored. For this, too, shall pass.

Featured Image by Lina Trochez, Unsplash Photography