Behind the Mask

Social media is unbearably snippy these days. I can barely stand to read comment threads, let along original posts.

Driving brings levels of rage I didn’t know existed. Even with drastically reduced traffic volumes, I find myself frustrated with slow and inattentive drivers, left lane bandits and school zone ignorers.

I could go on. My patience is gone, my tolerance is low and I feel like I’m running out of coping resources.

In the middle of this week’s funk, a friend mentioned she was having a terrible week and couldn’t take a single additional piece of bad news. Another friend texted to say her spiritual advisor had died suddenly that morning. My husband shared sad family news during our evening walk with our dog.

That’s when I realized:

If you’ve been tempted to push back your chair, dramatically turn over your desk (even if your desk is currently the kitchen table) and walk out on 2020 life with a wave of the hand or middle finger, welcome to the club.

Yet we know we can’t.

So we show up and we move forward. On the bright side, we don’t have to fake a smile because we’re wearing a mask. Each day is simply about getting through another day.

You are not the only one holding things together behind your mask.

Life has been difficult for everyone, but it’s been difficult in different ways.

The best thing you can do is be kind to others. It’s especially important to be kind to yourself.

I promise it will go a long way to making you feel better about your own current struggles.

I took my own advice today, delivering quickly notes scratched on index cards and freshly baked chocolate croissants from my favorite local bakery to friends who needed the kind of love only buttery chocolate carbs can bring.

Much to my surprise, dropping things off refilled my emotional bucket. I think I can make it through another day, maybe even with a smile behind my mask.

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