Corona Coaster

I am not positive how many days we have been “safer at home”. Frankly, I have lost count. I would rather focus on the days before us than dwell on the days that are behind us. 

‘Cause honestly some of those days weren’t so good. Other days we had a blast. We are all on an emotional roller coaster compliments of the COVID-19 Amusement Park. 

Imagine being at an amusement park and you are about to get on the biggest scariest roller coaster you have ever been on. Feel those emotions right now, scared, anxious, fearless, brave, chicken and excited. Really, that is just me?  I love roller coasters after the fact. I am not a fan of the anticipation leading up to the ride. Way to may things can go wrong. But I love the freedom and courage I feel afterward.  

This is kinda what we are experiencing right now at our house. One moment we are all good. Hands in the air, having fun and laughing at the top of our lungs. Then the next moment you find yourself inside one of those nasty corkscrews turns. Ya know the turns that feel like the ride will never straighten back up. All the while you are using some colorful language, your heart is racing, barely breathing and praying you can feel your feet touch the ground again, real SOON!

All these crazy emotions in a matter of seconds only to get off that ride so we can run to the next roller coaster. Does anyone else feel this or do this? Or am I alone in this?

Here is the thing I am learning while in quarantine. Our emotions mimic actual roller coasters. If you don’t believe me, please come visit me for a few hours. I promise when you leave you will be tired. 

Maybe not physically tired like we would imagine after walking around a park all day. But emotionally drained. Plum worn out! Not even able to perform the simplest of tasks. For instances answering your 5-year-olds question, what are we doing tomorrow? 

We put a huge focus on how a person is doing physically, but we never check in to see how they are doing emotionally or mentally. I am guilty of this with my own kids. 

I don’t know where I went wrong with my children. But I completely dropped the ball on teaching them how to deal with their emotions. I guess I can claim that we have been blessed in the past and never had to deal with these emotions. But that would be a flat out lie, and I don’t want to be that person. #nofliter

The reality of that situation is I would keep us busy. I need to stay occupied otherwise my mind goes bonkers. However, that is not always a good thing. See, I like many others would prefer to stay busy so we don’t have to understand what we are feeling. Honestly, who wants to lead themself to feel pain?

Hindsight I was just allowing them, and me, to suppress those feelings. Because ignoring the hard stuff is easier than processing the emotion. Here is the catch. 

Emotional stress can be as painful as a broken bone for a person. That pain or emotion can not be compared to another person’s pain either. So when we tell a loved one to suck it up, you now become part of the problem. 

We are in uncharted waters, and quite frankly I hope we never venture into this channel ever again. But during this time, we have to teach the people we love how to deal with and process the emotions they are feeling. We have to talk about it. We have to acknowledge that more people have the same feelings. By us feeling a certain way does not make us weak, bad, guilty, sinful, or selfish.  We can’t act like everything is perfect and expect to come out of this on top. Whatever on top looks like for you.

The longer we are stuck at home, the wiser I am becoming. Human beings were created to be present. Are you being present in your life? Being present will look different for everyone. The way you win is you do you, do not compare! Just make sure you are present and not just dipping your feet in the water. Go all in and be honest. Being honest and removing the “I am fine mask” is the only way we come out of this stronger than we were when this started.