Don’t ride this wave alone
As we wake up every morning to the news of a second wave of the corona-virus and read about towns and cities re-entering another lock-down, it is so important to plug into our support networks and not to ride this second wave in solitary isolation. I beg you, do not isolate or withdraw from your friends, family and acquaintances during this season. Now is the time to join weekly online support groups to connect with a network of people who will strengthen, encourage, inspire, care and look out for you. Now is the time to pick up the phone and ring that friend or family member you had promised yourself to contact some years back. Now is the time for you to ride this wave together with a group of people who will pick you up emotionally when you fall.
You are probably wondering why on earth, am I talking about support networks in the world of social distancing, where household mixing is banned, and groups cannot gather indoors or outdoors, where pubs and restaurants are being forced to close down daily. You are probably wondering what planet do I live on and have I not been watching the news? Hear me out. There are so many benefits around the digital forum. From my own personal experience, during the pandemic, I have felt even more connected and closer to my church fellowship group online — when it was not possible to enter a church building. The support and prayer I have received from the digital church online has been invaluable. Where could I run to when I needed to hear messages of inspiration and hope, in the thick of the pandemic, when it felt unsafe to venture outside for fear of catching the virus and when the media was broadcasting fatalities daily? Who could you visit when you were advised to shield? I thank God for Zoom, Whatsapp Video, Facetime and Facebook Lives. These tools have helped individuals all around the world to reconnect to old friends locally and overseas. The digital forum has given “non-gym” goers the chance to improve their fitness by attending online gym classes, from their comfort of their own home. What book clubs or lectures can you join online? If you don’t fancy having a staycation, why not travel to the farthest corners of the world from your own living room. You can log in to world famous museums and do a virtual 3-D tour of their collection, without taking a long-haul flight and booking accommodation. Have you always wanted to attend a virtual conference in another country but just didn’t have the finances to cover the conference fees? Are you aware that these same conferences which you dreamed of attending, are being offered online for the fraction of the cost and you don’t have to pay a penny towards transport ?— just log on online. Isn’t it wonderful? Don’t you see the benefits of this? Can you now see the amazing opportunities waiting for you to make new friends, gather your support circle and pursue your interests with others who share the same interests in the virtual part of the world we live in? What are you waiting for? Don’t isolate yourself I beg you. Explore the benefits of the digital world of lectures, evening classes, museum visits, and online shows to connect with others and for others to connect with you. Don’t ride this wave alone.
