Pandemic Platform

Folks are dying. Some of us, as a result, have gone silent to cope.
It's rare to log in to social media anymore without seeing "RIP," or "RIH".
Our loved ones are moving on, and we are left to pick up the pieces of these, "unprecedented times."
I hate that phrase. I really do. A quick flip through history, and we can say that we--our ancestors--have been in this space before.
But due to the luxuries we've been afforded, the terror of this time has taken over for so many, in part, because of the lens we use.
We're all grieving, whether we realize it or not, and it's time to be real with ourselves, with our children, with our families.
What does it mean to be afraid to die?
What does it mean to hold on to faith when that could mean not receiving the healing we know is possible?
Recognize we're all in the process of coping.   
Toxic traits that we "therapied" away may return with vengeance. May we not be afraid to revisit the spaces that led to previous healing. 
It's in you--healing, that is. During these times of separation, it will be up to you to decide how to again revisit the subject.
For some, it's that extreme focus on a chore or task that brings peace.
May you not lose sight of that which may now fall into peripheral view, outside of your main frame.
Pace yourself.
Be the friend you believe you need right now, remembering that for some, past survival has come through retreat.
Let them know that they are thought about, loved, and not alone.
There may be old friends who during this time, you may need to remind them of who they truly are.  Sometimes, in chaos, it may be difficult to remember.
And finally, comfort those who have lost. Go to them, safely.
Speak with them.
Pray for them.
Uplift them.
Join together and carry them as they return to an empty home that still holds the scent of the departed.
Talk and pray beyond the day of memorial.
This is a chaotic pandemic.
Yet, be encouraged that we have the power to use the same network--the one that spreads fear, pain, and death--to spread love, power, and redemption.
Let us be forever changed by this pandemic.
May the tears of our grief water the hope of our future.
Folks are dying. Some of us, as a result, have gone silent to manage...to breathe.
​And now, strength speaks.
~Cynae

Author

​Cynae Punch Brown is a Houston (TX) based writer, educator, public speaker, and singer dedicated to helping grief-impacted adults and children live 'in full voice" after experiencing loss.
​Follow her on Twitter or Facebook @cynaepunchbrown