
18 Jul The Noise Of COVID
Pacific Northwest parents and families: how are you doing? Obviously, it’s been a helluva year so far.
If you’re like us, then you’ve been greatly affected by what I am calling the noise of COVID.
“The noise?” you say? Yes, the noise. The voices, chatter, information, constant overstimulation, and other inputs we’ve had overshadowing us this year which has shifted us into a whole new way of existing. At least, for now.
Off the top of my head, I made a list to unpack some of this noise that has been the loudest:
Fear
The noise says to be afraid of:
others
ourselves
the unseen
Confusion
The noise tells us different things about what is:
dangerous
safe
comes next
has happened so far
who to trust
the ins and outs of masks
Uncertainty
The noise says we can no longer be certain of:
the future
our security
our leadership
what to expect next
Job loss & financial stress
The noise says that outside of the independently wealthy, nearly every person we know is experiencing at least the threat of:
lost professional identities and income
their businesses closing, including our own
basic needs no longer being met
K-12 school?
The noise says our entire system of education is at risk and -is- itself, a risk. Our nation’s children are:
displaced
confused
worried
caught in the middle
Isolation
The noise says ‘you are now alone during everything!’ like:
being healthy
being sick
in death
in crisis
when experiencing joy
during celebrations
Devastating loss while alone
The noise has led us to live through horror alone:
miscarriages
car accidents & other unexpected health issues
terminal illness
COVID hospitalizations & death
Future plans changed
The noise says that planning our futures is no longer reliable while:
college education opportunities are being lost
career entry plans are being cancelled
families remain separated
This is a lot! And this is only a partial unpacking of what we as a community have experienced and are still experiencing this year.
We know how hard this has been on you, the families with babies and young children. You, the families who are expecting babies this year. And you, families who are without the ability to bring your own extended families close to you during this time.
At Doulas Northwest, we too are at risk of closing. We -have not- closed. But we are as vulnerable as any small business. So we get it. And we care about how you’re doing.
When you are ready, please reach out. Connect with us on how we can work together to ease some of your worries with new babies and your other littles. It can feel like a pretty precarious time to be growing our families! Let’s do this together.
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