Dear friends,
This morning, I came across this piece in the Atlantic on the lingering effects of covid — physical for those who had it; psychological for the rest of us. I found it to be very illuminating.
What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale
If you’re having trouble trusting the CDC’s new guidelines around masks and social distancing, or, for that matter, if you’re having trouble getting out of bed in the morning, this may help explain why.
For fourteen months we lived in acute fear of this terrible virus. In response, we took extraordinary measures to protect our health and safety. We took these measures as individuals and as a community.
To put that differently, and as the article makes clear, we have all been through an enormous trauma together, again, individually and collectively.
Each one of us experienced and reacted to that trauma differently, and each one of us is recovering from it differently.
Now that it is, finally, safe for those of us who are vaccinated to go to the grocery store again — or to go to church again — it’s going to take us some time to adjust to this normal. Some of us will do that more quickly and readily, others of us much more slowly and cautiously.
Which is why, finally, I would like to reiterate my request that we all be patient, gracious and kind with one another — and with ourselves — as we make our way back to living more normal lives.
Love and peace,
Steve