Pandemic _______________

Today I am grateful for rain and for almond milk to smooth out my coffee.

We are seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic. How about a fill-in-the-blank?

Pandemic _______________

I first think of a couple of "f" words. (Neither is THAT "f" word, but I have certainly said and felt WTF? quite a few times since this all started.) I am referring to fear and fatigue.  Fear and anxiety may not be as consistently intense as they were earlier on, but they persist. 

Fear motivates me to stay safe and to be socially responsible. And to also take care of myself so that my immune system isn't compromised and vulnerable. Faith also helps me keep perspective and send good energy to the people for whom I am most concerned. 

This ongoing fear is certainly a factor in the pandemic fatigue I am experiencing. Other factors are the usual day-to-day experiences that have the added layers, literally and figuratively, of things like masks. I am grateful for my job and how the school year is going so far, and I gladly wear my mask, but the wearing wears me out each day. 

There is frustration stemming from what others do and do not do and say. The challenges of politics and divisiveness when a unified effort, in my opinion, would have us in a better place overall. COVID-19 isn't going anywhere soon, but we could have a more effective handle on how we are mitigating it, protecting the most vulnerable, and working toward managing it in the long-term.

That leads to a couple of "a" words: anger and acceptance. I have bouts of anger, with plenty of targets for my discontent--mostly the circumstances I have no control over. Enter acceptance. Always available to me. I just need to make myself available to it, with an open mind and heart.

The only conclusion I can draw is that the most important word to fill in this tricky blank is resilience.  We all have it. We are here and we are making it through each day. Onward!