The Winter Ahead

Is living in fear of COVID the new normal? Are we ever going to return to a less anxious state of mind? Is fall/winter going to bring a decrease in cases or an increase? Will the city shut down again into quarantine since we haven’t gotten the numbers under control?

These are the worries I have. Constantly. Especially now with the shifting weather ushering in rainy, gray days.

I have struggled with seasonal depression for as long as I can remember. The disappearance of the sun truly takes a toll on my overall mental health. But somehow, this year, the gray just seems so much more ominous. It brings a sense of dread, not just gloom. It brings a feeling of hopelessness, not just fatigue. Which is why I wanted to share this post with you today... a plea. A request for support.

I ask that you find patience in your heart to wearing your mask and social distancing even though we’re all so damn tired of it. I ask that you treat your cashiers and bartenders with an extra level of gratitude and kindness. I ask that you, if able, put on a brave face about the future so that those of us who are feeling painfully pessimistic might have a moment of reprieve from the fears in our minds. I ask that you vote— vote with intention and love and compassion. I ask that you remind yourself daily that it’s not you against the world, it’s all of us together. And that if the world is going to go courageously, successfully into the future— we all must work together.

We are humankind, together, desperately holding onto hope for the future. Don’t forget that. Don’t abandon that. And most of all, if your demons have gotten the best of you... ask for help. There is light and hope and bravery yet to be had.