There is always uncertainty and change going on – sometimes we forget that. But unusually, at the moment, it’s happening to all of us at the same time. Many of the things we had planned for ourselves just aren’t happening or are happening quite differently. Sometimes it can feel tiring. Sometimes we imagine the worst will happen
We may be grieving over things that might have been but aren’t. The things we wish we could do but can’t. The people we wish we could hug, and they aren’t here. For me, I’ve had it relatively easy, and at the same time, how I wish that my son had been able to move over from Canada as planned. Now jobs may be harder to get and maybe he’ll just stay put.
Some of you have way more to deal with than that.
For me, the most useful thing to remember in all of this is what’s within my control and what isn’t. And how do I want to deal with the uncertainty?
That old favourite, the Serenity Prayer:
Lord, give me the courage to change what I can change
Give me the serenity to accept what I can’t change
And the wisdom to know the difference
There are so many things about the current situation that we can’t change – and after 6 months or so, and no end yet in sight, it can feel even harder – so save your energy. Stop fighting/resenting/ complaining about what you can’t change. Stick with what you can change.
Yes, you may need to grieve over what might have been – but then see if you can let it go, let it float away on a small cloud, or cut the tie you imagine between it and you. You are mightily powerful but maybe even you can’t change a pandemic.