A friend called to tell me all my sins and error today.
I can still feel the impact of the barage of wrongdoing I heard up and down my arms.
Wow! That hurt.
Why did that happen?
Clearly, COVID-19 is part of the reason--the forced isolation, new routines, loss of traditions, fear, and struggle that accompany this pandemic have altered life as we know it and created a great deal of challenge for all of us.
Also, as with any barage of your wrongdoing, there was definitely some truth in my friend's lament. I am certainly not perfect, and have a number of areas that need refinement and betterment. Yet, why did my friend have to share my wrongdoings with such anger and frustration--what led to this point?
I have a good sense of why this occurred, and I discussed this in my post From Familiarity to Formality. I keep thinking back to the movie, Late Night, and how the main character had to greatly soften her edges to get along and live well in her new reality as an older women in modern times.
None of us are perfect--we are all works in progress. Our life stories make us strong and also leave us with considerable challenge and areas for growth and development. As life changes, our roles with and amongst one another change too, and we have to make time to consider those changes and respond with as much empathy, compassion, and care as possible if we want to keep the relationships strong and positive.
The pandemic gives us time to consider these matters--the pandemic challenges us in these areas too. Onward.