Strange days

We're all feeling the same. We're anxious and tense. Most of us are isolated from friends and family. We're missing our gatherings, our outings, our work. Strange days indeed.

People in this country are risking their lives to ensure that we make it through a worldwide pandemic. For me, I'm feeing less than useful. I'm a lawyer. I can do most of my work from home therefore, I'm not encumbered by the angst of going to an office or social distancing during mass transit to get there. I am one of those staying home, going out only for essentials, helping with my grandchildren, and praying for those on the front lines. Thankfully, my family and friends have remained safe and healthy.

It is for those very reasons that the idleness I initially experienced produced a meaninglessness in my everyday routine. Therefore, I determined early on in our stay-at-home endeavors that I would fill my days getting "outside of myself." Focusing on my own uselessness was no good for anyone. Switching gears was a necessity.

I gave more structure to my days by setting a schedule. Part of that schedule included setting aside a portion of every day to check in on "my people."

That is something that we all can do. We can be encouragers.

Whether it has been a text, a phone call or a good old-fashioned letter, I have made a point of talking to someone in my life nearly every day. It keeps us connected. It allows them to share their burdens, their own grief over time lost and occasions missed. It allows me to feel engaged while being away from the people I miss.

Let this be my encouragement to you to stop and be a blessing to someone today. If you have little ones in your care, this will seem impossible. If you are sharing your stepchildren between homes, the time involved will seem impractical. But I guarantee that the minute or two that you take to text or chat with a friend or neighbor will do you some good too.

"A joy shared is a double joy. A burden shared is half a burden." --Swedish proverb