Kids, Corona Virus and Work
Just like all of you, I’m wondering where to begin. My thoughts are bouncing all over the place. I'm thinking about my kids, my work, my family and friends and admittedly the mundane, and now, seemingly unimportant (but somehow still very important).
’Do we have enough cat litter?’
‘How would I get to my mom if she got sick?’
‘Will we be able to go on a summer vacation?’
‘When can I get my nails done again?’
“Oh my God…my retirement…..”
I was ‘fine’ until I heard the kids may not go back to school until fall! FALL! That just sounds apocalyptic. But, it's not. We have fresh air, running water, and in this moment, we are OK. And, we will be OK. So will you. I have been thinking a lot about what to write and what to say to my clients with little kids. Should I offer comfort? Resources? Information?
I don’t know about you, but every group, every website, and every store I’m a part of is offering information and resources. I don’t think I need to add to that list. I can’t get past the first 2 or 3 myself without feeling like I’m not doing enough (we are only 4 days into this – the fact that we are getting out of bed is enough!). I realize that what I offer to my clients, and to my kids, every day, is emotional comfort. It’s the one thing I can offer and one thing that is really needed right now.
As I prepare to log on to a client session or walk through my own door, I ask myself, “what can I say, what can I do to make it better?” What I find myself saying is the same thing I said two weeks ago when life was still normal, ‘notice your body’, ‘name your feelings’, ‘honor the discomfort of not knowing’ and ‘be aware of this moment.’
I wasn’t able to fix anybody’s problems last week and I can’t fix them this week either, but I can offer comfort. When we are unsure, scared, overwhelmed, and feeling lost we need to stop, breathe, and honor our feelings and our bodies and those of the people around us. I see you (even if I don’t know you), I know it’s difficult, I know you don’t want to work this hard, and I know you’re unsure of a lot of things. At the same time, you can look at your hands, notice your feet, feel your breath, and name your emotion…
I’ll start…. “I’m worn out and I want to feel calmer.” Now it’s your turn __________________ (feel free to post below!)
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