Fear is Unsustainable

I've often wondered how people in countries besieged by war or terrorism are able to live seemingly normal lives. They go to work, send their children to school, take the bus, go grocery shopping...just like we do.

After this week, I think I finally understand.

Look, I'm not going to go into a long lament about these "unprecedented times" or "weathering the current situation" or "navigating these rough waters." We've all heard enough of that to last a while.

And that's my point.

I realized yesterday that, for the most part, I've adapted to this new normal. My Facebook and Twitter feeds indicate many others have, too. We're starting to talk about things other than community spread and lockdowns. People are sharing pictures of their gardens and flowers and sunrises and sunsets.

I'm not going to pretend I'm not scared, or that as a nation - hell, as a PLANET - we aren't all scared. 

I'm also not advocating we carry on with life as usual. We need to listen to the advice of the infectious disease experts and stay home to help slow the spread of the virus.

But life is continuing. We're still creating and laughing and loving. 

Because fear is unsustainable.

What we're experiencing now is similar to what people in war-torn countries experience, at least in terms of uncertainty and a loss of things we've historically taken for granted. But we're humans, and we're adaptable, and even the most pessimistic of us know there are better days ahead.

If you're scared today, it's okay. If you're not scared, that's okay, too. Nothing lasts forever...including fear.