Many of us are spending far more time with immediate family while socially distancing from everyone else. While this can be stressful at times, take comfort in knowing that all of these bonus deposits you’re making at home with the people that matter most, and engaging in activities that bring you closer, will payout huge dividends in the end.
As an active member of several blind related groups on Facebook and various e-mail lists, it has been interesting to see how this Crazy Pandemic is affecting our population. It is noticeably clear that the impact is hitting every sector of the human population, even if in different ways.
It pains me to read about the struggles of other visually impaired individuals who are dealing with families who do not want to help them with the growing needs of being at home together all the time. It is difficult to hear about other blind adults who are struggling to pay bills after being laid off work. But by far, the most heart wrenching accounts to read about on these various platforms and groups are those of blind individuals who are feeling helpless. They don’t have any support and cannot figure out what to do with themselves now that they are out of work, don’t want to trust public transportation to get out, and do not have anyone else they can turn to. They feel alone, abandoned, and utterly helpless.
My friends, it is not only the blind community that is struggling to cope during this challenging and unprecedented time. We are all in the same global pandemic, and we all need to step back and focus on what is truly important. Perhaps you are with family or perhaps you are alone. I want to encourage you to focus on making time to really connect with your loved ones that are with you and reach out to do the same with those who are not. Your relationships will prosper, and you will grow in gratitude and joy.
Perhaps you know of a blind or otherwise disabled person who lives alone. Maybe you have a friend, aunt, uncle, or grandparent who is in an assisted living facility with no one allowed to visit. Connecting on Face Time or with Zoom are great ways to brighten someone’s day.
These are tough times for everyone, but with more love, family, and friends, the best is yet to come.