Pressing Pause

By: Patricia McGuire, MA, LPC

When Michigan first went into lockdown last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought we would hit pause on “normal” life and then resume a few weeks later. But the deadline for that state of emergency lockdown kept extending– like running a marathon with miles continually tacked on the end – and as time went on, it became increasingly clear we would not go back to normal.

Fast forward and we’re on the brink of summer over a year later and in a new and changed world where quarantine, masks, and physical distancing are the norm. The novelty of COVID-19 has worn off and its brutal reality has taken a wearying toll. As vaccines roll out, some feel hopeful and energized while others remain cautious.

While it may feel like we will soon press Play on the lives we left last year, we simply can’t pick up where we left off as if we’ve paused a movie and will start again in the same place. Too much has happened and it’s transformed us.

For some, life during the pandemic has been like a cocoon – the solitude and time at home were a welcome change from the typical busyness of everyday schedules. For others, the time of COVID-19 has been destabilizing and traumatic. We collectively grieve the loss of life, health, jobs, and many milestone events like weddings, funerals, and graduations.  

As the world begins to open again, may we reflect and ask, “What am I taking with me?” and “What am I leaving behind?” For many, what is most important to them has become more salient.  Some are taking with them new hobbies or self-care routines. Others leave behind patterns or assumptions that do not serve them anymore. And for others, just surviving the uncertainty of each day is a triumph, it’s enough.

While each of us carries our own story, wounds, and hopes into this new season, may we take time to reflect and then authentically re-engage.