Our world has changed. 

If those were the only words that I wrote in this blog today, you’d surely be able to finish it for me. Why? Because there are so many examples of how the pandemic has ruined our world (stay tuned for the silver lining).

Changing up our very existence because of a nasty virus where, seemingly, no one is certain of its inception, purpose, lifespan, or severity, is nothing less than one of the world’s greatest tragedies. There are millions of opinions out there from all walks of life—genders, races, economic statuses, and religions. Who’s right? I don’t know. Does anyone know? 

We have suffered greatly as a planet with no substantial answers to my questions. Some think they know definitively the answers to all of them. I applaud those who have their beliefs but do not force others to follow. I condemn those who have wreaked such havoc in this world where lifetimes of hard work have been wiped out, marriages have suffered, children and animals have been abused, and friendships have been lost. Each of them, tragic in their own way.  

When the pandemic began in March of 2020, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was just like all the rest: SARS, H1N1, West Nile Virus, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, etc. I was shocked by the number of deaths in other countries. Somehow in my mind, I chalked China deaths up to, “Well, their healthcare system is not the best”. Then came Italy. I started to pay attention. Then Trump shut down our borders. I listened even more. Then Pete and I were out to dinner on a Friday night in March and that was our last date outside of the home for months. (See? You really could be writing this blog, right?) Then we had to isolate inside. 

My friend and her family were in Mexico and I got mad that she wasn’t “doing her homework” to know that the whole world was crumbling, and she was livin’ it up in Mexico with tequila blinders on. “Damn her”, I thought. A good blog for another time, but we cleared it up and she set me straight. 

Isolation? “What was that?” I thought. I grew up in apartments. Many of them were about 800 square feet. I'm thankful I live in a home bigger than that now. What were those people going to do in those small spaces? On top of each other, not able to go outside, to the store...anywhere! OMG! Rage is all I could think of. Alcoholics. Drug addicts. Homelessness. Depression. What was going to happen? 

Wow. I felt really blessed and fortunate to be where I was. But not everyone else was in my shoes, so the guilt set in. Do I go out to help others, or do I stay inside to protect me and my family? I didn’t know what to do. Then survival mode set in. I bought flour, eggs, milk, butter, tons of fruit and vegetables. I made fresh bread. I taught Kole how to make fresh bread. We made Friday night family dinner videos to put out on social media so others could feel the warmth and love. It was a new world. 

Adjustment can be difficult. You know that quote from Charles R. Swindoll, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”? I’m in his camp. It’s our attitude towards adjustment that makes the difference in life. 

COVID’s Impact on Friendships

The other day a friend sent me an article from the Wall Street Journal, written by Candace Taylor, about how the pandemic completely changed her closest friendship. It really resonated with me. 

She writes about how she lost one of her friends because the friend moved out of New York to find “greener pastures”. And it sounds like they literally did find greener pastures. Did something like that happen to you? Did you lose some really close, dear friends to this pandemic because they moved away, or you no longer saw each other at work? Or maybe you had differences of opinions so polarizing that you fought. Or maybe you lost someone to death.  

How do you adjust to losing your friends? That’s a different type of adjustment. Many wouldn’t term it as “tragic” even though for some it could be. Friends come and go all the time so why now, during this pandemic, is it somewhat monumental? Because during times of panic, times of need, times of desperation, who do we turn to? Our friends and our family.  

Here’s my Silver Lining from the Pandemic (I Always Find the Silver Lining)

• I became closer to some very special girlfriends. I found out how important I was to them. They reached out to me at many turns when they didn’t before, and for that I was thankful. I learned that no matter how far apart we are physically, we’re never too far apart in heart.  

• I Zoom. I think most of the nation knows how to Zoom now right? Zoom Happy Hour. Zoom Game Night. Zoom Classroom. Zoom Yoga. Zoom Gym Class. It’s endless! 

• I have a new neighbor. She moved from a different state and had some very isolating circumstances, and I’m incredibly thankful for the pandemic that brought us together. 

• I have an incredible team of women who work at My Girlfriendships®. We Zoom and Marco Polo like crazy to stay connected. I adore seeing their faces everyday.

• We’ve learned a new way to live; a new way to connect at a deeper level. We realize a little more of what is truly important, and who those people are who truly fill up our hearts. 

Have you lost any friends during this pandemic? Have you made any friends during this pandemic? Has your love for one another increased during this pandemic? Yes, our world has changed, but it’s up to you to decide how you will react to it. 

I love that you were with me today. See you next week. 

XO,

Lisa A.K.A Loopie