It’s Going To Be Alright

I keep telling myself that.  “It’s going to be alright.”  Or as Matthew McConaughey would say “Alright, alright, alright!”

These are trying times.  There are days I wake up and for a second – forget.  Forget what is happening in the world.  Then reality hits.

As of Monday – my studio will be my scrapbook room.  I guess it’s good it’s finally going to get used for something because all I seem to do in my scrapbook room is pile up pictures and sticker collections.  Waiting for “one day” when I’m not so busy. (smile)

I hope that you are doing alright.  I hope that you are finding the good and reminding yourself of what you can still be grateful for in all this.  Gratitude and attitude are key in getting through the tough stuff.

I think of my days in radio, and there have been a lot of them.  There is nothing that compares to what we are dealing with right now.

I remember 9/11.  Watching that story unfold. What seemed like a bizarre plane crash turned into something so much more sinister and beyond words heartbreaking.  We thought 9/11 changed our world.

I remember the day the mall roof collapsed, killing a woman inside.  I remember trying to understand how to do my job then.

Snow days always messes people up.  Bus cancellations.  Other cancellations.  But NOTHING compares to what we are going through now.

We are trying to find a balance between giving you the information you need, and being a light in the darkness.  Not easy.

We are all with you, feeling all the emotions.  It’s a roller coaster ride.  Some days, some minutes, I can feel totally alright.  Others not so much.  The heaviness sets in.

And I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to feel right now.  I think we are all entitled to have all the feelings.

I read an article today that sums it up so well.  What we are experiencing is grief.

I am trying so hard to find a routine in this not so routine life.

I try to get up at the same time, enjoy a cup of coffee or two, workout and then get ready for the work day ahead.  I try.  But it’s not as easy.

It’s hard.  I’m distracted, because there is a constant feeling of “none of this is normal”.

We want to know when this is going to end.  We want to know that everything is going to be OK, but there is no certainty and that is what’s scary. We worry about our health, and the health of our loved ones.

I am always wondering in the back of my head “Will I get this?” and wondering about every sneeze or different feeling.  It’s a mind game right now, and we have to make sure we don’t give in to the worry.

I did a home workout yesterday and got so frustrated with myself because I kept stopping. And those fears and anxieties kept creeping in.  Where normally I love my workouts, now I’m struggling.  It’s the heaviness we are all carrying around.

And as I stopped my workout, fighting back tears, and fears and frustration – I realized, that this was what it was like when I was getting over the loss of my family so many years ago. This is grief.

One minute you can be fine and another minute waves of sadness, or fear or anxiety come flooding in and take over.

Just like when you are grieving, the world you know has been turned upside down.

You just want to wake up and have it all be a bad dream.

I have a strong faith and I am believing it will be alright.  I believe that together we will get through this and be stronger for it.

I will do my best to keep putting one foot in front of the other, bringing a smile to your afternoon as long as I can.

Hang in there my friends because we going to be okay.

Stay home.  Wash your hands. Often.  Don’t touch your face.  Or anybody’s face. (smile)

Stay connected with people.  Reach out to those who might be feeling more alone than ever.  Text, email, message or pick up the phone and chat!

Grief.  What an interesting way of thinking about it.  It’s what we are experiencing right now with our new normal.  Grieving connection, grieving unemployment, grieving friendship and what’s normal.

This sure ain’t normal.  My heart breaks for all those who have lost loved ones in this.  We get the numbers every minute of the day it seems.  But those aren’t just numbers. They are people. Moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, grandpas and grandmas and friends.

That’s why it is so very important that we each realize how valuable we are in beating this.  We need to do our part as individuals.

Social distancing seems painful and hard.  We don’t like it.  We don’t want to do it.  But we need to.

We need to do what we can to protect ourselves and in return protect each other.

And our community is known for it’s big heart.  So let’s go.  It’s time to shine and rise to that challenge.

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan