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.