A Positive Memento in a Doubtful Time

By Kaitlin Croney

During the abundance of time I had this week, I thought a lot about what I wanted this article to be about. Did I want it to be about the pandemic that seems to be all we read about anymore, or did I want it to be about something completely unrelated? How would I even begin to talk about something unrelated? This is just one of the unpredictable aspects of what is happening all around us. 

Each day, information is thrown at us about what we should be doing, shouldn’t be doing, and the latest projections of the future, although it seems that speculation far outweighs certainty. We all know how this feels; we’re all in the same boat in this sense. But despite this shared apprehension, the occasional Zoom happy hour with friends, or the board game night with family, it is really easy to feel entirely alone right now. 

I can almost guarantee none of us have been told enough that it’s okay to feel however we may be feeling. It’s okay if this feeling changes day by day, hour by hour. There have been days throughout this quarantine where I have personally felt like it’s been hard to even get out of bed. But there have also been days where I’ve jumped out of bed, eager to use my time to learn something new or connect virtually with others. In any case, I have learned the importance of adjusting my mindset to ride this crazy wave. Furthermore, I’ve learned the importance of each of us channeling our unique feelings and experiences during this time to create a more compassionate, appreciative world.  

I came across a memento the other day called, “Coronavirus might be the greatest teacher of your lifetime.” It goes through various negative feelings that people are likely experiencing right now. It then puts a positive spin on each of them by recommending one way in which we can actively manifest good through each of these feelings in the future. I appreciated this memento for simply shining a light within the darkness, but even more so for giving concrete ideas that we can think about and take with us. 

As with many situations in life, the pandemic our world is experiencing is proof that the universe often holds plans for us that we never could have expected, and sometimes, never would have chosen if it were in our control. But, as with anything, it is how we learn from what happens to us that means the most. 

Here’s the link to the memento! https://www.facebook.com/austinphudson/posts/779901770314