Phebe Bell: Acknowledging Grief and Finding Connection in Our Journey Back to “Normal”
When my children were little, moments of transition or change sometimes caused them to feel anxious or unsure. I remember my daughter’s kindergarten teacher telling me that every day when it was time to go to recess and join the throngs of older children on the playground, a little hand would slip into hers for the walk down the long, noisy hallway. My daughter needed just a small show of reassurance and connection to make the transition from the safe classroom to the bigger world.
I think of this as a metaphor for the moment we are in right now, the transition away from this unusual chapter of isolation and disconnection. I imagine that some of us are eager and excited to join the noisy throngs, ready to face big social gatherings and the dynamics and energy that accompany being amongst people again. And probably others of us are a bit like my daughter at age five – needing a bit of reassurance and connection to counter the anxiety the transition may be surfacing. And still others may truly not be ready or able to step back into their pre-COVID lives. The impacts of the past year have been intense, and for some it may take time and significant support to make this transition.
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