March 25th, 2020
Greetings CZC Community!
To say these last few weeks has been strange would be a huge understatement. We are all faced with making decisions that none of us have the answers to. We are each making our “best guess”. Our daily life is more disrupted with each passing day. The path forward is not clear. One of the best examples of this is what my daughter Jamie faced this week. Jamie, a high school senior, is also a yearbook editor for her high school. In the fall, the yearbook commits to a certain amount of pages based on school activities in a typical year. She is struggling with what do with all the “blank pages” that were reserved for spring concerts, plays and sports. It’s such a powerful visual. Blank pages in a yearbook. Memories that were stolen from high school students and especially, seniors. I bet we can all relate to this in some way. We all are “grieving” and struggling with what to do with our own “blank pages” of cancelled events and detours in our own lives.
If you or family members are experiencing a wide range of emotions—sad, confused, anger, worried, helpless—you are not alone. These emotions may sound like grief, which in fact it is. We are all experiencing “life grief”. AND—if you’ve experienced a close personal loss this may not only feel familiar but could retrigger feelings from previous losses. Be good to yourselves and your family members. Be patient.
What can we do? When we start experiencing these emotions or feel ourselves beginning to go to “funky town” as I call it, it’s important to stop the spiral! How? Pull out those coping skills! Change what you are doing immediately! Train you brain to focus on something different—call a friend; go outside; take a walk, run, journal, clean or cook. Those things with immediate gratification are definitely a pick me up and help us feel like we are accomplishing something! Another key is to limit watching the news. Give yourself a few hours of a break. The news is changing rapidly, but not so rapidly that you can’t turn it off for a while. It also helps minimize worry and fear for kids who are at home.
As we adjust to our temporary “new normal”, look for happiness in the unplanned and unexpected moments. I have a college son who is home but without this pandemic, he wouldn’t have been until late August. We have had fun hanging out and exercised together 7 of the last 8 days. As a family we’ve cooked at home and had family meals. We are working on a board game competition day today! These are my “something good from something bad”.
Those of us who’ve experienced loss, already realize every day is a gift, not to take things for granted AND how to survive anything–including this! Go fill your “blank pages” with your moments of unexpected gifts and joy.
Lynne B. Hughes
Comfort Zone Camp CEO &
