Archive for August 2020

I asked these two questions of my parents today, by e-mail. So now I'm asking myself, and maybe anyone reading this can ask themselves.

1) what's difficult for me right now?

2) what's good? what do I have to be grateful for?

It's very strange not to go places, but I don't know how vulnerable I am to COVID 19. I don't think a doctor could tell me. Having less "conventional" comorbidities means that I err on the side of caution. That just seems smart.

But it means my world is relatively small. I take the approach of "patient heal thyself" because I don't do Feldenkrais or vision therapy anymore. I check in with my cognitive behavioral therapist, Christina, about once a month. But it's definitely challenging. There are so many things that are different now. It's difficult that I have no confidence in the Trump administration.

My mother is right - I do need to acknowledge what's really hard right now. And I try to give myself self-compassion about dealing with what's hard.

Now for the other answer -

2) I'm incredibly grateful that we do not face financial hardship - this is huge! I feel so bad for everyone who does.

I'm grateful we can put food on the table, and have a safe, good house where we live.

I'm grateful my family is getting along.

I'm grateful for our two cats and dog.

I'm grateful I can see my parents now, for a socially distant, but still present visit.

I'm grateful for the friends & family I talk to by phone. Phone calls - hearing voices, sharing laughter is just SO helpful.

I'm grateful for all the music online - YouTube is my friend!

I'm grateful I can take walks with my husband, and dog.

I'm grateful for all the lovely flowers I've seen, and that sharing pictures with family and friends lifts their spirits, as well as mine. Colors of nature are truly awesome!

I'm grateful I play my flute a bit each day. I sometimes play our piano keyboard.

I'm grateful for all the audio books, and for Google Translates audio feature - SO grateful!

I'm grateful for my congregation, and all the effort being made to help us feel together, connected.

I am trying to choose optimism and hope, over pessimism. I'm trying to keep on putting one foot after the other. There are many people who have lived through - have survived - incredibly difficult times, prior to right now, and even found ways to thrive. So why not now, as well?

The number of cases (5 million) & deaths (160,000) of COVID in the US is horrible, and hard to wrap my head around. It's more than 50 9/11's. Yes, I DO blame Trump for his response - it's heartbreaking and infuriating! That Americans aren't welcome elsewhere in the world is a disgrace. I thought we'd be in a different, better place by the end of the summer.

The elderly, those with compromised immune systems or other health issues, black & brown people - are all at higher risk and the Republicans have shown they simply DON'T care, and this is also a disgrace.

That wearing masks and social distancing is so politicized is beyond my comprehension. Doing these two things does NOT take away freedoms - it GIVES you freedom to have some semblance of returning to normal. Otherwise, we wait for safe, effectively distributed vaccines. I say vaccines because there may be more than one, depending on where you live.

Anyone planning to vote for Trump should be ashamed of themselves. Those of us who are voting for Biden need to say so, loud and clear! He's absolutely correct that it didn't have to get this bad.

I'm trying to hold on to the hope that like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, the US will vote Biden into the White House - and down ballot blue - and the US will heal. It will take time, but I have to believe healing can happen.

I chose the first picture above because for me, music - see the notes floating around her - is essential now. And nature.