Pounding the floor with each rhythmic step, a flood of emotions swept through my body during my morning treadmill run. My gaze was set on the wall ahead of me. I occasionally glanced at the fitness center’s television screen, but my mind was somewhere else. Others around me continued their workouts with little insight into the battle going on within my heart and mind.
I felt alone.
We had no explanation for “why” this was happening, and we didn’t know “when” it would end. Even if we had the answers to those questions, I don’t know that they would suffice. The answers would only bring a temporary and false peace for the time. We’ve had to choose to move beyond the “why” and “when” questions, and ask the important question: How will we choose to deal with this uncertainty?
It’s easy for anyone to get sucked into feeling lonely or depressed when messages of “social distancing” and “go home” are constantly bombarding us. I’ve felt my own emotions fluctuate drastically from day to day and moment to moment. It’s strange, and yet it’s all so real.
How do we combat the feelings of being alone when we are physically alone or isolated from others?