Finding Hope During Difficult Times
When there is a diagnosis of a serious illness, lives are turned upside down and everything changes in an instant. Our HopeCircle families, staff and volunteers all have experienced this upheaval.
Now, we as individuals, our country and the entire world are part of a disruption of our normal life that is unexpected and scary. Words such as pandemic, social distancing, voluntary isolation and mandated closings have become part of our everyday conversation. Some of us are rushing to the store to buy needed items, many families are withdrawing from contact with others because of age and or medical conditions. Schools and some businesses are closing and activities and events are cancelled.
At HopeCircle we have learned how important hope is when life has been upended. How do we sustain hope when things look dark and how do we share hope with others when we aren’t touching, hugging and can’t physically be together?
Here are a few suggestions to successfully navigate the next few weeks.
If you have family members or friends who are isolated, call, text, email, or send a card. FaceTime is a wonderful way to have a face-to-face conversation with someone over the phone. If you don’t know how to make a FaceTime call, google it, go to YouTube, or ask a child-they will know how to do it. Check to see if those isolated family members or friends have all the necessities they need and know how to order on-line. Do they know how to use Libby (a library check-out tool for e-books)? Encourage interaction in whatever way is possible and safe.
What should we do? There are four elements to a hopeful person’s behavior: involvement in the moment; the expectation of more; willingness to look to the future and a sense of gratitude.
Do what is recommended by the medical professionals: Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, don’t shake hands, try to keep six feet between you and others, stay away from crowds.
Expect that “this too will pass”. It may take longer than any of us would like, but we will get to the other side. We are resilient, resourceful and not alone.
Understand that there will be people who need us now and will need us when the crisis is over. WE MUST TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS.
Thank God daily: for the blessing of living in this country; for good medical care; for dedicated people who are working tirelessly every day to provide services and products that are essential to our well-being.
An unknown poet said: Our Hope is that tomorrow will bring the start of a new day, that in the face of adversity we will find a better way. Hope can overcome anything. It can conquer doubt and fear. Hope renews our spirits and wipes away our tears.
While HopeCircle will not be staffed for the next two weeks, please call or text me if there is an emergency we need to address or something you need to discuss.
Praying for a Hope filled day for you…….
June Morse, 870-936-7005