Your feelings are valid. | April 2020 Love Note
Stress, anxiety, boredom, grief, loneliness, disappointment, gratitude, hope. Whatever combination of emotions that you may be feeling from day to day -- or from moment to moment -- your feelings are valid. What we are experiencing in this season is unprecedented. There is no playbook. We are all taking it day by day, learning together, and doing the best that we can. What matters most is that we find pockets of time to breathe, seek gratitude, unplug from the constant flow of media, and connect with the people who matter the most.
Physical or social distancing shouldn't drive us into social isolation. Now more than ever, we need one another. One way that I've managed to stay connected while staying safe is video chatting. There are lots of simple ways to video chat with one (or more) of the people who you miss gathering with in person.
There are apps that may already be built-in on our phones like FaceTime,
video messaging options within popular social platforms like Instagram and Facebook Messenger,
and a whole host of apps that are dedicated solely to video chatting (I've tried Marco Polo, House Party, and Zoom!)
Of course picking up the phone and simply dialing a friend goes a long way. Particularly one that might be feeling isolated right now (think of an elderly loved one, a single friend who lives alone, or someone who is in a nursing home or maybe incarcerated). And while we are all stressed to some degree, if you have the capacity, try checking in one someone who might be taking this even harder (maybe you have a friend working on the front lines, or a neighbor expecting a baby soon, or a family member who battles with depression).
The important thing is that we stay connected, first, to God through prayer and quiet time and second, to one another through connection and conversation. As always, I have shared some Table Talk Topics for the month to help frame those discussions. Or you can tune into a recent episode of Love, Maaden: The Podcast and use the content as discussion points for your chats. This month is all about the re-do we're diving into how to re-start, what to re-surrect and re-claim, and when to re-evaluate.
Finally, while I know we might not be cooking for friends and guests any time soon, I have still included a favorite recipe that I made for my family recently -- Cajun Shrimp & Grits. It makes a great meal any time of day, and it super quick and easy. Try it and let me know what you think.
Until next time, stay safe, stay connected, stay home.
Love,
Maaden
