I don’t know who needs to hear this at this moment, but, yes, you are doing this right. 
 
There is no formulaic approach on how to approach our actions, feelings, duties, responsibilities or interactions during this unsettling period in human history. The rule book for dealing with the constant fluctuation of thoughts, emotions and personal circumstances that have continually tested us as individuals and as a community over the last several weeks. These feelings leave us feeling ungrounded, off-centered, disheartened and off-balance. In my conversations with individuals these last several weeks whether via zoom or in discussion boards, I’ve noticed that a common theme unfolds: “Am I doing this right?” 
 
From my heart to yours, I am here to reassure you that in whatever form or emotional stance you have taken during this critical period in our history, if you are present with your emotions, you are doing it perfectly. 
 
If you are an essential employee, who anguishes daily with palpable anxiety and feeling of helplessness that stems from needing to balance the necessity of a paycheck and your desire to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy: you are doing this right. 
 
Conversely, if you are an individual who can’t work right now and are anguishing over how you are going to meet your essential needs and humbling yourself to ask for help: you are doing this right. 
 
To the healthcare workers both in the hospitals and on the streets, who are pressured under the strain of longer hours, days and weeks of attempting to treat the masses, grieving the lives lost and wondering how to cultivate the inner strength to show up again tomorrow: you are doing this right.
 
For the unsung frontline employees who are trying to be courageous and grounded while showing up to keeping our economy running and providing us with a small sense of normalcy in our banks, grocery stores, restaurants, or delivering essential items to our homes, even if you feel fearful: you are doing this right. 
 
To the family members who feel angry and helpless when a loved one is in the hospital and they cannot be there to lend a comforting hand: you are doing this right.  
 
To the parents doing double or even triple duty striving to find the balance being a full-time employee at home while also being a parent and teacher to their children. If you worry about your effectiveness and your child’s future: you are doing this right.
 
To anyone that is struggling either personally or professionally at the moment with any level of fear, anger or uncertainty: you are doing this right.
 
You may be asking yourself how I could possibly know this for sure and that is definitely a fair question. I think it all comes back to what I said at the opening: we are in uncharted territory. No rule book, so in these circumstances we have to create our own. It is both liberating AND terrifying.
 
To varying degrees we like our routines and our comfort zones. Why? Because they help us to make sense of our world, they are predictable and most importantly they make us feel SAFE. To feel safe, is such a basic human need and when we are stripped of the reliable situations that provide us with comfort, we grieve. We feel the anger, the heartbreak, the uncertainty, the anxiety in a VERY real way right now. It means that some exciting changes are coming to our community.
 
My friends, this means that we are learning to be more present in situations of discomfort and adversity. We are learning how to console ourselves while also being more compassionate with others. Some people are learning how to cope with these feelings for the first time in their lives and even more are learning how to be compassionate towards others. Already I am noticing an increase in the number of individuals who are willing to help complete strangers with food, medicine and shopping for those who cannot do it for themselves. We are allocating more dollars from our wallets towards local businesses and practicing gratitude for the services they provide. Our neighbors are decorating their doors, ringing bells and picking up tabs for our front line employees. 
 
Why? Because we are more aware than ever that we are stronger together than we ever were apart. We are grieving together, feeling together and healing together for a stronger community once all this is done. Even though a more unified community is our ultimate end goal, we need to remain focused on being grounded in being there for ourselves and others on a daily basis. We are all in different emotional places at the moment, so it is important to remain compassionate towards each other as we process through the trials and tribulations of this grieving process together. 
 
Just keep in mind that no matter what emotion rises within you at the moment, you are by far doing this right.