MY THOUGHTS: THIRD WEEK IN HOME LOCKDOWN IN MILAN, ITALY.

MY THOUGHTS: THIRD WEEK IN HOME LOCKDOWN IN MILAN, ITALY.

There is so much uncertainty swirling around me. Swirling around the world. It’s easy to feel adrift and foggy. But these few things I know to be true:

  • 475 people died today. A total of 35,700 infected. We are almost four weeks into lockdown and still the numbers are rising.
  • There are still people, up to 40 percent some reports say, still going for walks and wandering around town. I feel like shouting: WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?
  • I look at my home country and I hear that there are still millions running around questioning if this is even real. And again, I want to shout: WILL YOU EVER LEARN FROM OTHERS? DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKES WE MADE. STAY THE F&$K AT HOME!

I know. I know. I know mental resilience is key here. Balanced thinking. Zoomed out thinking. But sometimes, I get overwhelmed and it’s hard to find the empathy, the positivity.

When that happens, I think of all my people around the world who have reached out to hug me and surround me with their love – through emails, phone chats, messages.

And I see resilience everywhere – sung from the balconies, shone out with lights in the evenings, and in the afternoon applause in courtyards and piazzas across the country.

I see it in the hundreds of healthcare workers rushing, breaking beyond expectations to help.

I hear it in the reports that tell us that for the first time in a long while, the skies have cleared from pollution in Wuhan, swans and clear water are back in the canals in Venice.

And I look out my window to the vibrant cherry blossoms and the magnolias unfurled. To bright unblemished skies. And I think – they don’t even know the world is in crisis?

So what do I make of all these juxtaposed thoughts, feelings, messages? How do I move forward? I’m not sure what to do. But for right now, I think I will

  • Invest in myself. Go Inward; Build core strength
  • Stay “safely” social: In some ways, I find have connected more deeply and in a less rushed manner than before, when I never had time.
  • Shine my light: We all impact others and others impact us. How do I want to show up in the world? A light in the darkness, or a blown-out candle?