Quarantine and Anxiety - How to keep being hopeful
Hello everyone,
I hope and pray that when you read this post, you are feeling healthy and are safe. If you or a family member or friend is afflicted with this virus, I hope they feel better soon. If you have lost someone to this horrific virus, I am so sorry for your loss. Know you are remain in our prayers.
Today is Good Friday. As a child, my Mom was pretty strict about Good Friday. I was not allowed to listen to music, or play - all I could do was clean up for Easter and the only things I could watch on the television were Biblical movies. Back in the days, there were a lot more Biblical movies that were being televised. Nowadays, the classics are The Ten Commandments and The Sound of Music - how does Julie Andrews fit into Easter is still a mystery to me, but each year, you know you can watch it on Easter.
As an adult, my spouse and I fast and we will try to fit in the Stations of the Cross. We also try to enjoy family time, but he is working (he is an essential worker - being in healthcare). Tonight, we will watch Mel Gibson's The Passion - it's not my favorite, but it does represent how Jesus suffered. As a child, I watched Jesus of Nazareth each year. When Jesus dies on the Cross, I was unable to watch the screen because it brought such sadness...
But then, hope arise, HE IS RISEN!
And so, I want to touch on how we can remain hopeful in the midst of this pandemic. It is taking a toll on all of us. Each day that passes, there is no vaccine that is yet available. People are still being infected and more people are dying... Families are having to say goodbye to their loved ones through screens and cannot even attend their funerals. Each day, somebody loses a friend or family member and the rest of us stay cooped up and wait for this to pass... Question is: when will things go back to normal?
How can one remain hopeful? The only way that I can think of is by thinking of the Resurrection. In spite of all the horrific beating and humiliation that Jesus endured, he did rise on the third day. He suffered for us to give us a hopeful life. And seeing what he went through brings me back to think that when things are bad for us, there is always a light at the end of it all. It may take longer than we expected, but there is always light at the end of such darkness.
We need to remain hopeful because that is what will keep us living. If we give into despair, we will stop trying. I know it's hard to maintain some type of normal being at home at all times. But that is why keeping a routine is so important. This time is the perfect time to start those projects that you never seem to have time for. For example, I am starting a prayer book with prayers in all different languages for the kids. I also will be starting their baby and life books. I have also decided to spruce up my Catholic studying - I am taking the RCIA booklet that my priest prepared for people wanting to come into the Church. I maintain a routine with the kids also because it makes us forget about what is going on out there.
The moment we lose hope, we lose faith in the future. Now, more than ever, hope is what is keeping us all sane and striving towards that moment when it will be safe to go to Starbucks. I keep that in mind when I get sad. I do go out on walks, but within our community, it gets a little boring and a bit suffocating. But then, I think of all those who live in tiny apartments and are unable to have even a porch and all they can do is look out a window - and even worse for those who have children.
In those days when you are losing hope, remember that this too shall pass. When chicken pox or any other fatal viruses were among us, people were scared and dying, but it passed and a vaccine came about. The same will happen with this as well. A vaccine is under way, but it takes time to get the right one that will eradicate this virus.
We will come out of this stronger. We will all be changed by this, but hopefully for the better.
Don't despair - keep hope alive in your heart and prayers. It's a difficult time for us all, but let us not let despair get us.
Let's keep united by staying at home, when possible, washing our hands and NOT touching our faces. Let's respect social distancing and let's be nice and kind to all - we are all in the same boat!
SM
I hope and pray that when you read this post, you are feeling healthy and are safe. If you or a family member or friend is afflicted with this virus, I hope they feel better soon. If you have lost someone to this horrific virus, I am so sorry for your loss. Know you are remain in our prayers.
Today is Good Friday. As a child, my Mom was pretty strict about Good Friday. I was not allowed to listen to music, or play - all I could do was clean up for Easter and the only things I could watch on the television were Biblical movies. Back in the days, there were a lot more Biblical movies that were being televised. Nowadays, the classics are The Ten Commandments and The Sound of Music - how does Julie Andrews fit into Easter is still a mystery to me, but each year, you know you can watch it on Easter.
As an adult, my spouse and I fast and we will try to fit in the Stations of the Cross. We also try to enjoy family time, but he is working (he is an essential worker - being in healthcare). Tonight, we will watch Mel Gibson's The Passion - it's not my favorite, but it does represent how Jesus suffered. As a child, I watched Jesus of Nazareth each year. When Jesus dies on the Cross, I was unable to watch the screen because it brought such sadness...
But then, hope arise, HE IS RISEN!
And so, I want to touch on how we can remain hopeful in the midst of this pandemic. It is taking a toll on all of us. Each day that passes, there is no vaccine that is yet available. People are still being infected and more people are dying... Families are having to say goodbye to their loved ones through screens and cannot even attend their funerals. Each day, somebody loses a friend or family member and the rest of us stay cooped up and wait for this to pass... Question is: when will things go back to normal?
How can one remain hopeful? The only way that I can think of is by thinking of the Resurrection. In spite of all the horrific beating and humiliation that Jesus endured, he did rise on the third day. He suffered for us to give us a hopeful life. And seeing what he went through brings me back to think that when things are bad for us, there is always a light at the end of it all. It may take longer than we expected, but there is always light at the end of such darkness.
We need to remain hopeful because that is what will keep us living. If we give into despair, we will stop trying. I know it's hard to maintain some type of normal being at home at all times. But that is why keeping a routine is so important. This time is the perfect time to start those projects that you never seem to have time for. For example, I am starting a prayer book with prayers in all different languages for the kids. I also will be starting their baby and life books. I have also decided to spruce up my Catholic studying - I am taking the RCIA booklet that my priest prepared for people wanting to come into the Church. I maintain a routine with the kids also because it makes us forget about what is going on out there.
The moment we lose hope, we lose faith in the future. Now, more than ever, hope is what is keeping us all sane and striving towards that moment when it will be safe to go to Starbucks. I keep that in mind when I get sad. I do go out on walks, but within our community, it gets a little boring and a bit suffocating. But then, I think of all those who live in tiny apartments and are unable to have even a porch and all they can do is look out a window - and even worse for those who have children.
In those days when you are losing hope, remember that this too shall pass. When chicken pox or any other fatal viruses were among us, people were scared and dying, but it passed and a vaccine came about. The same will happen with this as well. A vaccine is under way, but it takes time to get the right one that will eradicate this virus.
We will come out of this stronger. We will all be changed by this, but hopefully for the better.
Don't despair - keep hope alive in your heart and prayers. It's a difficult time for us all, but let us not let despair get us.
Let's keep united by staying at home, when possible, washing our hands and NOT touching our faces. Let's respect social distancing and let's be nice and kind to all - we are all in the same boat!
SM
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