To have the luxury of a secluded beach area within walking distance of my daughter's house here in Saint John, NB is such a blessing. I don't know about you, but there's just something about listening to the ocean that brings calmness and peace to my soul.
A few nights ago, however, as I became transfixed by the high storm surges unpredictability, the ocean evoked different emotions in me.
Standing near the shoreline, with the force of the wind beating against my face, I closed my eyes and envisioned that the ocean was angry and sad and frustrated. I envisioned that it was lashing out and speaking to me about the worst and most frightening moments that you and I are experiencing right now.
COVID-19 has not only become the hallmark of fear and anxiety, but it has forced our lives to slow down in ways that we never thought imaginable.
Day in and day out, we are left scrolling the internet or glued to our tv in hopes of finding some positive news, some certainty, something to at least soothe our anxious mind. Only to be bombarded by the increased cases of the virus, by the increased number of deaths, heightening our fear and anxiety even more so.
And this past weekend, while still consumed by fighting a common enemy in COVID-19, we were suddenly blindsided by a horrendous mass shooting in Nova Scotia, leaving the victims' families caught in a raging sea of grief, with no peace in sight.
Not only does my heart go out to the bereaved in Nova Scotia and around the world, but it puts my quarantine woes with COVID-19 into a different perspective as well. Because despite days when my fear and anxiety are heightened, despite days when I feel cooped up, despite days when I wish for normalcy, my loved ones are still okay.
A few nights ago, however, as I became transfixed by the high storm surges unpredictability, the ocean evoked different emotions in me.
Standing near the shoreline, with the force of the wind beating against my face, I closed my eyes and envisioned that the ocean was angry and sad and frustrated. I envisioned that it was lashing out and speaking to me about the worst and most frightening moments that you and I are experiencing right now.
COVID-19 has not only become the hallmark of fear and anxiety, but it has forced our lives to slow down in ways that we never thought imaginable.
Day in and day out, we are left scrolling the internet or glued to our tv in hopes of finding some positive news, some certainty, something to at least soothe our anxious mind. Only to be bombarded by the increased cases of the virus, by the increased number of deaths, heightening our fear and anxiety even more so.
And this past weekend, while still consumed by fighting a common enemy in COVID-19, we were suddenly blindsided by a horrendous mass shooting in Nova Scotia, leaving the victims' families caught in a raging sea of grief, with no peace in sight.
Not only does my heart go out to the bereaved in Nova Scotia and around the world, but it puts my quarantine woes with COVID-19 into a different perspective as well. Because despite days when my fear and anxiety are heightened, despite days when I feel cooped up, despite days when I wish for normalcy, my loved ones are still okay.
