This post was originally published on April 7, 2020.
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I dunno about you guys, but this whole social distancing is getting kinda old. The first few weeks I was all like, oh, it’s not so bad, I enjoy my own company. I don’t know what I’m going to do once this all over and I have to go back to socializing with people.
But, quite honestly, the anxiety is really beginning to kick in as things don’t look to be getting much better and the headlines remain grim. I think we’re all grieving the loss of those freedoms we never thought about. Like brunch with friends. And for those who are grieving the loss of more than something kind of frivolous, my heart, literally, goes out to you.
I do see people creatively coming together, though. Virtually. I mean, Zoom’s probably making a killing. What a gift it is to still be able to connect with the people that matter the most to you.
The thing I like the most about virtual gathering during this time of COVID, is how it’s bringing us together. I’ve seen dear, long-time friends more than usual because we’re all making the extra effort to connect while our normal, everyday lives are on hold. It’s reminded me how no matter how far apart we are geographically, or how long it’s been since we’ve hung out in person, true friendships span the space of miles and time. It’s beautiful. And it’s something we can hold onto as the rest of life grinds to a halt.
I’m looking forward to meeting regularly with my community group and other friend groups now that we’re all newly accustomed to using this video conferencing tech that’s been at our fingertips all along. I mean, I FaceTimed my mom the other day, who lives just a couple of miles away from me, just so we could talk face to face! It wasn’t much different from when we’d Skype while I was living abroad, except that thousands of miles separated us then, whereas I can easily walk the two in between us now.
While we’re all doing more virtual gatherings these days, I think it’s important to talk about what’s going on in the world and how it’s affecting us individually. I think it’s part of how we process crises as relational beings who rely on and thrive in community. But it’s also important to laugh. And it’s important to talk about other life things going on and remember that this all will pass and we’re getting through it together. And also to remind each other that there’s going to be so much more of life once we’ve gotten through this historic moment in time.
How are you all making the most of staying connected while being physically distant? Have you been using Zoom a lot, too?
