As I write this blog, I am keenly aware that we are experiencing our one year anniversary of the global pandemic we know as COVID-19. It was one year ago that our world changed and we entered a shutdown of life as we knew it. We didn’t know much about this virus at that time, but what we thought we knew is that it wouldn’t last very long and that we would be back to our “normal” life in a few weeks…a month, tops!

Reflecting on the past year, I have seen so many people who have lost loved ones, who have struggled through their own illness or the illness of a family member, who have lost jobs, who have lost homes, and so much more. I see people who are doing their very best to make it using the tools they have and are pushing forward, creating a new “normal” for their lives. I see people doing their best to be strong!

In a recent Facebook post, I asked, “if you could describe this year in one word, what would it be”? My word was perspective, because during this pandemic my perspective changed about so many things. My perspective of what was a want vs. a need, my perspective that I was in control of so many areas of my life, my perspective of what and who was important, my perspective of what was actually giving me joy. The words that others contributed in response to that post included: adjustmental, endurance, perseverance, growth, resilience, humility, prayerful, focused, thankful, journey, faith, and difficult. As you think about this, what is your word, and how does it impact how you are moving forward in life?

Another thought for me that comes up is how so many of us have to continue to work, to push, to produce in the midst of being physically and emotionally exhausted. Across our country, people are being given the message that this is the time to make moves, to start businesses, to teach our children, to work from home etc., with no real days off. People are being held to the same pre-pandemic standards that they were one year ago. Mental exhaustion, depression, suicide, and drug & alcohol use have all risen, and we continue to receive the message that we must perform. Children who have not been in school for a year are forced to return to take a myriad of tests to measure their learning. Where do we find the space to say, “I’m not okay, I need _________”.

I saw the above quote in someone else’s post (I am not sure who the author is), but this spoke volumes when I read it. Our best is enough! That doesn’t mean our perfection is enough…it means our best. If the best you can do today is get up, get dressed, go to work, come home, clean the house, cook dinner, help your child(ren) with their schoolwork and spend quality time with your family, that is enough. If the best you can do today is get up, put on fresh pajamas, and breathe, that is enough (and some days that is exactly what I have done). No one can measure that for you.

As you move through the struggle of daily living, I encourage you to find your people…you know, the ones you can call when you need encouragement, the ones who have you and will lift you up when life gets hard. No one should have to be in this fight alone. We all need those people who can let us rest when we need to, but who also stand up with us, pushing or pulling as need be. We also need to recognize when it is time to get help and seek out a counselor if life is getting too hard. Going to counseling does not mean there is something wrong with you, it actually means you are strong enough to know you need to talk to someone. Seeking a counselor means you are aware that you need a little extra help and that you are strong enough to ask for it.

As we continue to maneuver our way through what we believe is the end of our COVID restrictions, how will you find a new “normal”. We will never go back to life as we knew it, and adjustments are necessary to press forward. Where will you make those adjustments? How will you define yourself? How will you ask for what you need? I want to encourage you to breathe, recognize your best is enough, and laugh, love and live each day to the best of your ability! You’ve got this!