Tina of Travels and Trifles chose Distance as this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge theme. It’s a theme I can relate to.
Talk about social distancing. I am well over 3,000 miles from my home as I wait out this emergency. There are a lot of us gypsy travelers, far from home, who have had to make difficult decisions as the crisis has unfolded. When confronted with the choice of possibly carrying the virus through many distant communities with extremely limited medical care in both Canada and Alaska to my very remote and vulnerable home, I chose to stay put. But it wasn’t an easy decision.
I miss being able to go “out there.” My mother, 91 years old, in an assisted living facility with a touch of dementia, can’t leave her room, and it is hard for her to understand why she isn’t allowed to go out, even for a breath of fresh air. Her sacrifice is far more difficult than mine.
Those people working the front lines – medical staff, custodial workers, grocery store employees, care givers, truck drivers, all of those in essential jobs, are making far more difficult sacrifices than those of us sheltering in place. They are risking their very lives every day. To all of you, my eternal gratitude for the sacrifices you are making.
We are all making sacrifices. I’m not alone. We are all in this together.
All the same, I miss home, friends, and family. I find myself already grieving the loved ones I will lose to this virus, even though I don’t know who they are yet. None of us will pass through this trial unscathed.
But we are fortunate. We live in a time when there are tools that help us feel close to those we love, even if it is from a distance. Can you imagine being in lockdown without the solace of easy communication available in our digital age?
It’s up to us all to help each other weather the storm. Be kind. Be gentle. Be supportive. Be patient with one another. We will all have our bad days before this is through.
Don’t let fear and despair, anger and frustration conquer your spirit. Take care of yourself. Get outside if you can, even if it’s just for a walk around the block. Stretch. Eat your fruits and veggies. Listen to the birds sing. Dance. Laugh. Play. Dream. Above all, be grateful. For every little thing.
This too shall pass. It may feel like forever, but it isn’t. And we’re all in this together. There is comfort in that.
