The following are some thoughts that were shared with us by one of our nurses here at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid). While her story is unique to her, it certainly strikes a chord with all of us right now.
You just might find some comfort here as we all mourn the loss of control in our lives!
We all are experiencing loss of control… but did we ever really have it?
At the beginning of the pandemic as I watched everyone worry and try to figure out the best thing to do, I realized that what we were all really struggling with was a loss of control. We didn’t know this virus, we didn’t know how to stop it, we didn’t know how to protect ourselves, our kids or the elderly. What seemed like overnight, we were out of jobs, homeschooling our kids, or working from home. We couldn’t shop, eat and play like we were used to doing. So many parts of our lives were suddenly being dictated by others.
But did we ever really have control to begin with? Control is really an illusion. Reality is that we are realizing that we don’t have control over some of these things after all. My husband likes to joke that I can handle all the big stuff… no worrying or stressing over all the big life events. It’s the little silly stuff that makes me a control freak. I knew that my attitude would affect how my kids handled this interruption to our lives. I wanted to be calm and rational, so they would follow my lead. After hearing lots of stories from friends and family, I felt like we were doing pretty well overall. Then, the second wave hit. I started struggling with all the unknowns. I felt like we were going back to the beginning and starting over. I was not prepared for that.
Our word this year at Two Lines (formerly Advice & Aid) is Envision. Recently, it has become really hard to “envision” the future. Where would this all end? Would it all end? During quarantine, I came across some Scripture that has seemed very timely and relevant:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
This verse is a great reminder of where to keep our focus. No matter what’s happening . . . it’s all temporary!
As we slowly come out of this, I hope that I keep some of the good habits I developed. . . exercising more, enjoying less on the calendar, and spending time with my family. I pray too that I can remember daily to envision a bright future that is waiting for me.
We are all experiencing loss of control and thoughts that run rampant right now. Sometimes, it can be helpful to talk through what we are feeling with someone who is there to listen and help provide some stability. Our mental health is just as important right now as our physical!
So if you need to talk, we have people – from professional nurses to caring, trained staff – to help support you. We care about and support women, no matter what stage of life or crisis they find themselves in. And right now, crisis is all around us.
Is it time for you to talk to someone?