Lost... Weather the Storm

 I was driving to the store this past week and passed the local elementary school. The fence was lined with dozens of leis and a sign that said "In loving memory of _____ " There were numerous masked people standing around dropping off more flowers and lei. I wondered if it was another tragic victim of COVID. I hadn't heard anything about it in the news. They are very efficient for reporting COVID deaths (with underlying health issues) but that is another topic altogether.

The detective in me, upon getting home went to look up the name on any social media site. The face that greeted me was a young woman with two small children and a husband. She did not appear as if she had any underlying health issues as she was lean and looked in optimal health. I showed the picture to my husband and told him about the memorial at the school. He glanced at it briefly and had me repeat the name. Seconds later he said, "WAIT, what?! What is her name? What does she look like?" It just so happened that he actually knew the young woman. He did some digging on his own and discovered she indeed was a COVID tragedy but not in the way you would expect. Her parents shared the following:

Yesterday, 9/11, we lost our beloved daughter. She was 40 years old and was a teacher at ______. She didn't have COVID but we feel she was a tragedy of COVID. Her fear of COVID changed her from an outgoing, fun-loving to a somewhat isolating person. The stress and anxiety of distance learning being a grade-level chair, and distance learning coordinator took its toll on her. And of course, being the caring person she was — worrying about family added to her stress. She didn't eat well, had trouble sleeping, felt dizzy, at times had trouble breathing, and had panic attacks. When she went to the ER she was sent home the same day. Yesterday morning, her husband couldn't wake her up or revive her. It is a roller coaster of emotions—devasting, sadness, disbelief and denial, internal strife thinking what we could have and should have done — right now we are almost numb to anything. 

Keep your families safe & close,

Her parents

To be honest I didn't know this person and even though I didn't it still brought me to tears. All the potential in the world in a single bright shining human being gone. Weathering the storms of this life can beat you up. You can feel like a single island, alone. We need to reach out to those who we love. Make sure that you and they are getting outside and getting grounded or as it is commonly known as "earthing." It's a real thing. Grounding neutralizes the free radicals we experience every day. Free radicals are generated through inflammation, infection, cell damage, trauma, stress, and toxic environments. You will feel better. Talk, be open and real. When you ask someone how they are doing? Mean it. When someone asks me how I'm doing my question back to them is, "Do you really want to know?" It makes them stop and think. I don't mean it in a sarcastic way just a way to get people to stop and think.

Here is a link to a wonderful article by Dr. Dave Brady on the Benefits of Grounding/Earthing. Be sure you are getting out there and communicating with the ones you love especially now in a the age of COVID where isolation is the mandatory norm. Educate yourself to become healthy mentally and physically. If you need a reiki treatment. Contact me. I turn no one away even if you can't afford it because I believe if we are looking out for one another we become better, stronger, and healthier. I hope you follow me on this journey. Be alert, be mindful, keep your families and friends safe and close because you may never realize what struggle they are going through. 

Don't be lost...