Covid-19 is still raging around the world.  I lost track of what number surge it is in what state.  My heart breaks to watch the return of full hospitals and a lack of ICU beds.   What is really alarming about the Delta variant is its ability to impact children, who were largely spared in the past.

Covid-19 is an effective predator. Initially, it attacked the old, the weak and the vulnerable. Now, like any other skilled predator, Covid-19 is less discriminating. It is attacking the young, the healthy and children.

Covid-19 came, stayed, and changed how we live. Human beings are social by nature. We are meant to live in groups and constantly interact with one another.    A new type of fear entered our society and ripped through our social fabric. We keep our distance from each other.  We wonder if our friends are vaccinated or if they will wear a mask.

Covid-19 is a real threat for me because my immune system is suppressed.  I was quarantined from February of 2020 through the fall of 2020.  My activities remained restricted until I was vaccinated and so were most of the people that I know. Still, the vaccine is not as effective for me. I remain at risk. 

Covid-19 caused me, and I am sure many other people, to rethink how I live.  Taking care of my health is my first full time job.  I decided to remain cautious.  I still wear a mask. I insist that the people I get together with are vaccinated.  Fortunately, I live in a city with a high vaccination rate.  I do not face the risk of living where vaccination rates are low, and Covid-19 is spreading rapidly.

Covid-19 is here to stay.  There will be more variants, more vaccines, and more boosters.  Life will go on. We are not likely to go back into lockdowns.  We will each need to decide how much freedom to exercise and how much risk to take.  I admit, it is best for my mental health to be back in life. I do not thrive isolated. 

We live, and we have always lived, with many predators.  Violence, infectious disease, addictions, and other social ills. We survive and adapt.  Covid-19 is really just the new kid on the block.  Live your life, find your balance, and stay safe out there. 

Read and write for a better life with Faith 2 Talk Press.

Sometimes I am not depressed, just sad. If I were a flower, I would be planted in a bed of melancholy. Lately, with the pandemic and social upheaval, there are more occasions for sadness than joy. Sadness is a natural part of my emotional life. I can feel subtle sadness like when summer ends. There is also the lasting sadness I feel after losing a parent or dear friend.

Lately, there are more occasions for sadness than joy.

It helps me to remember when I am sad, that sadness is a temporary feeling.  After I lost a child, I recall asking God would I always feel sad.  The answer was no. Yet, it took time.  I did feel happy again.   The loss stayed with me, but the sadness retreated like the tide. 

When you feel sad, take a breath, and tell yourself: This is temporary. Do not skip over the sadness, it came for a reason. Allow sadness to serve its purpose, like reminding us how much we miss the dear friend we lost.

Sadness is temporary.

It is the natural order of emotions to come and go, like the sun rising and setting or like the tide. The season for sadness will come to an end.  Laughter, joy, and happiness will all return.

Read and write for a better life with Faith 2 Talk Press.