Do Not Relinquish Your Peace

Okay people, you know I try hard to keep this site free from the trending woes of the world, but alas, I cannot.

The coronavirus and recession are upon us. Things are changing rapidly. There is panic, fear, sickness, and a ton of confusion. And frankly, this is only the beginning because people, businesses, countries, economies will have to figure out how to bounce back once this is over.

So how do you deal? How do you keep your sanity?

First, set boundaries. Do not read or watch the news every second of every day. Do not hunt and post every crazy “fact” or prediction you see.

However, it is crucial to stay informed. Read the latest news twice a day, and take the advice of your health officials. Get your facts from the World Health Organization (WHO), and your next steps from your government.

Since none of us has a magic wand, there is little else you can do, but try to make the most of this particular tribulation.

Recently, I have been accused of being stupid, uninformed, and a panicked sheep by someone who feels I am not glued to CNN enough. Yet, I know just as much as this person. This person has chosen to make this virus the only subject of interest for the last five days, and I refuse to engage. My refusal to talk about the virus has been misconstrued as ignorance on the subject.

Silly rabbits. SMH

My house is stocked, and we’ve cut out all travel. I canceled my conference at the end of the month before the governor issued the travel ban. Amid all the crazy of prepping to shut down, my child’s school forgot to send the packets home, but that doesn’t bother me because while he spent Friday at school, I spent it at Michaels (a craft store) getting projects for him to do, and then at Aldi getting food and snacks. We have meds, dog food, and I have checked in with my family and friends.

I have done all I can do. Now, the only thing left is to keep my head and my peace because folks, I am in the house with a cranky sixteen-year-old dog, an anxious ten-year-old dog, an energetic five-year-old boy who is no longer allowed to do his activities, and a husband with a cold. There is a shortage of peace in my house on a great day, and I’ll be damned if I give up the little peace I have to watching virus stats grow.

Keep your peace. Be smart. Stay safe and healthy. And remember that though things are a bit uncertain, and even scary, this is not the end.

Checking in. Where are you from, and how are you doing?

Photo by Fikayo Aderoju