The Only Control I Have Is How I Respond To It

 

There has been a deluge of negativity on social media as of late. More than usual. The number of COVID-19 cases in our state is rising exponentially. Schools are closing down. School sports are postponed. There's a curfew. Parents are publically insulting teachers. The teachers are at their wit's end. The list goes on. 

I get it. This whole COVID-19 pandemic is a gigantic suckfest. It has caused an immeasurable amount of havoc in almost every aspect of life for all of us. Some big. Some small. And, everything between.

But.

At the end of the day, we all have choices. 

Some choose to be glued to the news and the most recent updates.

Some choose to battle it out online as keyboard warriors. 

Some choose to live their life as if COVID-19 doesn't exist.

Some choose to wipe all of their groceries down with sanitizing wipes.

Some choose to ignore taking precautionary measures.

Some choose to defy mandatory orders such as wearing a face mask in public.

Again, the list goes on.

I've had a few people reach out and ask why I don't talk more about COVID-19 and share my opinions about executive orders and the possibility of lockdown if the numbers keep going up.

My reason is simple.

It's a waste of time.

Why?

I have no control over this virus. 

None of us do.

What I do have control over is how I respond to it. 

I'm choosing to respond with positivity, respect, and kindness.

I'm choosing to ignore the hate, disrespect, and judgment the best I can. As a Work at Home Dog Mom, I can't unplug and walk away from social media.

I'm not going to lie, occasionally, despite my best efforts, it gets to me. 

Most of that has to do with Lisa being an essential employee. I worry. I worry a lot. 

And, during what appears to be a second wave of COVID-19, we have friends, family, and people we know who have or have had COVID-19. 

Thankfully, they have all survived.

I take things day by day. 

That's all we have.

Today.

I'm choosing to make the best of it. 

A woman I have known for years, who is a talented writer, posted a lengthy post on social media just recently. She shared a little about what she's going through amid this entire COVID-19 pandemic. One paragraph caught my attention...

"You hold your people tight, even when they aren't perfect. You appreciate every drop of good. Stop whining when things don't go exactly your way. Grow up. Do something good in life, during really shitty times, instead of adding to the loud and angry and divisive and whiny entitlement." 

~M. Paullin~

That's how I'm choosing to end this blog column because I couldn't have said it any better.