Coronavirus

Are You Heard, Seen and Known?

Are You Heard, Seen and Known?

A universal need.

That’s what my social work classes call it. The human need to be heard, seen, and known. It was a central feature of my first grad school class. It’s something that has been in my thoughts a lot over the past 7 weeks. I’ve talked about it with my Mom, my friends, and taught a lesson about it at church.

And here is what I’ve found.

It’s true.

We need to know that someone, somewhere knows the real us. That we are seen for who we are. That our wants, needs, and desires are heard by someone.

One of the hardest parts of living through the pandemic has been a disconnect from the ways we usually get those needs met. Friends and family have had to social distance. Events and celebrations were canceled. I met with the sisters in my church and we discovered that all of us had been feeling very alone. We felt like no one understood us. Many had felt that maybe church wasn’t the place for them anymore, they were isolated and felt like they didn’t belong.

I watched as everyone drew a huge sigh of relief to discover that they weren’t alone. They hadn’t been the only one person thinking these crazy thoughts. They weren’t the only one struggling to find a way to meet these needs. Our hearts ached as we listened to our sisters tell their stories that we didn’t know were hiding beneath their pasted on smiles.

So we made a plan.

It’s just in its beginning stages. But we realized that somehow, some way, it was vital that each of us felt heard, seen, and known. We made plans and commitments, both individually and as a group, to do even just one percent better at reaching out to each other and checking in. Because if we all did one percent better, that one percent multiplies like compound interest.

It is a couple weeks later and I have reached out to a few women who were on my mind. Nothing earth shattering has happened, but they now know that someone, somewhere was thinking about them, and if that helps them feel even a little less alone, I have succeeded.

Feeling like a fraud

Feeling like a fraud

“And so I sit here, trying to understand that because my life is not filled with trauma causing events, and has really calmed down in a lot of ways, that it makes me feel like a fraud. As mental health is my chosen field to study and eventually work in… This makes me want to dig into this further.”
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Where Have I Been?? COVID Burnout

Where Have I Been?? COVID Burnout

“This blog has been silent most of the summer. I wish I could say it was because of something wonderful and awesome. Instead, I’m admitting to COVID burnout.”
Read more. . .

Coronavirus Anxiety

Coronavirus Anxiety

“My purpose in writing this I guess is to let you know that you aren’t alone out there. We’re all beyond anxious. We’re all at the end of our patience. It is undermining our self esteem and motivation to do things. Coronavirus anxiety is getting to all of us, even if you don’t have diagnosed chronic anxiety.”
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I Have A Funny Side. . .

I Have A Funny Side. . .

“Today I wrote something completely tongue in cheek. Something fun and light hearted and exactly what I needed.
I think you need that too.”
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8 Survival Tips For Surviving A Pandemic Summer

8 Survival Tips For Surviving A Pandemic Summer

“The temperature is rising and down here in the South and it feels like we are already well into summer. But summer is just getting ready to start. And I don’t know about you, but after having had my kids home for school for the past 2 1/2 months. . . “
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We ALL Need a Hug

We ALL Need a Hug

“We ALL need a hug right now.

At a time when people are dying due to a pandemic and we are social distancing to protect ourselves and others, how do we meet the emotional and mental health needs that we have?”
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I Can’t Tell What You’re Saying

I Can’t Tell What You’re Saying

“Last week I was in Walmart with my son. As we waited in line to check out I was noticing the amount of people wearing facial masks and thinking, ”I really miss seeing people’s smiles, I can’t tell if how they are feeling with their face under a mask.”

And then it hit me.

This is how my son has viewed the world.”

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Notes from Sheltering In Place

Notes from Sheltering In Place


Trapped.

That’s how I feel. We aren’t supposed to be out in public, we are told to stay home. My kids won’t have school until some unknown date in the future. ”
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