Time To Lighten Up!

 

Hi!

Winter feels....heavy. It's dark, it's cold, it seems endless. Hell, even the eggs becoming pancakes look like they've hit their limit!

The world, over the past several years, has felt heavy. I mean, a world-altering Pandemic, the way different countries responded very differently. Hell, different regions of countries couldn't even get on the same page as each other on how to handle things. 

Everybody became pissed. Over everything. Too many rules, not enough rules, the chaos that misinformation threw into an already volatile situation. The curtain of humanity was pulled back revealing an ugliness we always feared lurked in the shadows.

Blatant disregard for the feelings of others. Things like empathy and sympathy were suddenly looked at as weaknesses instead of the strengths they are.

So, I, for one think it's time.

Time to lighten up!

We are social animals and have been separated by necessity and anxiety long enough. We can get the best of our humanity back. We can make replacing karenicity with kindness the new trend. We can remind ourselves about just how far the tiniest bit of common courtesy can go. 

We've been isolated for far too long. Yes, it's been a while since we've had to physically be as separate from one another as we were during the worst of it, but we are definitely still feeling the aftershocks.

There were babies born that are only now getting any real taste of life out in the world, where more than just a few people congregate. They are finally experiencing faces outside of their families, and they aren't on a screen!

There were toddlers about to start preschool that weren't able to dip those tiny, adorable toes in the social pool like they otherwise would have. 

There are teenagers who missed precious months developing incredibly important social skills. Interacting with peers, and teachers in real life, instead of over zoom. Learning how to read a room, understanding social cues, the importance of making appropriate eye contact, how to greet people with confidence but not arrogance. You know, life skills. 

Yes, it's been a beat since we've had to physically isolate, but as far as I can tell, we are far from recovering from the emotional isolation. 

So, let's give each other some slack, shall we?

From toddlers to teenagers to the rest of us. So many of us are very likely still feeling weird in crowded spaces, and that's okay. Lots are likely fine with it, and that's okay too. Some may choose to continue to wear masks, which, but the way, needs no response from anyone... really, it doesn't. Some may feel uneasy as they head back into their "normal" work routine, while others have simply chosen different ways to make a living.

For some, the past few years was simply a chaotic blip. To others, it has been life-altering, in horrific ways. 

You know the saying, 'we are all in the same boat'? Well, we weren't. In the same storm, yes, but we all weathered it in vastly different boats. Some had yachts while others had nothing more than a floating door, and, still others, didn't even have that. 

So, slack, compassion, whatever you feel comfortable calling, it's time to get it trending.

Let's flood the planet with kindness!

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May all things that bring you joy come to you in abundance. You deserve it.