2020 Mourning Loss in a Time of Global Tragedy

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that we’re dealing with a very, very large problem in the world right now. It’s easy to get lost in the constant bombardment of sensationalism and get overwhelmed- but no matter what the why, the fear is real.

So is the loss.

In less than one week, we here in America have lost our individual ways of life, and like everything else in America, those losses are stacking up on credit, both emotionally and financially.

No one is coming to help us and who knows when Uncle Sam is going to come to collect.

Government is taking advantage of the chaos to push more policies through that take away more of our rights here where, in other countries Government is working to push policies through that save people’s rights, and *gasp* give them more in a time of crisis.

Being an American right now is absolutely terrifying but getting caught up in this paradigm doesn’t quell the problems we’re all facing as individuals: How are we going to get out of this without going into debt – losing our homes – surviving without our jobs?

Quantifying loss in large groups isn’t easy for the human mind to comprehend. A percentage, or a line item in a report does zero justice to community suffering, or to the emotional weight of loss on an individual person. Thinking this way delays grief, and when grief gets stuck long enough the body stops functioning properly.

For those of us who have lost jobs, money, social (in-person, not social media) networks, routines…to name a few…what is really needed is time to pause and mourn these losses.

You didn’t just take a job, you made a commitment. You didn’t just save money, you were in the process of buying a home to start your family. You didn’t just create a routine, you created mindful habits and a sustainable way of living in the world. You didn’t just host parties, you were a pillar of your community that brought people together for a good cause.

There is so much more to it than ‘just losing [put your loss here.]’ 

Being one of many who has lost their [insert loss] doesn’t minimize the grief YOU personally feel about it. Denying that, even in times of global crisis is worse in the long run than pausing and mourning those losses now.

The reality of it is that we were forced into change with almost no warning, and with no support. Change like this has consequences. This particular change is not simply being poorly managed, people in power are using it to take advantage of people’s pain and confusion – it’s criminal.

It may seem unproductive to take pause right now to process your grief, but experience has taught me that clear minds find novel solutions, panicked minds freeze. Having a clear mind will help you navigate this transition better than delaying, or ignoring. And with the wolves at our backs, we need all the clarity we can get.

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