I've had the luxury of continuing to see my therapist every 2 weeks during all of this and she passed along some advice worth sharing. YMMV of course, but hope this helps. Short thread below!

1st, we are all facing cognitive dissonance right now. This "normal but not normal" creates a gap and the brain usually responds with anxiety or anger. If that's what you feel, it's normal.

2nd, it is totally OK to be raging mad right now. I repeat: it is totally OK to be raging mad right now. Because a lot of this was preventable. That injustice is just infuriating.

3rd, what you do with that rage is important. If you bottle it, it'll just make it worse. Find a way to deal with it. Either just talking it out or channeling it into a project, etc.

BTW a great way is to put that energy into online activism: register voters, call reps, etc

4th, it is okay to have good things happen right now. Like how we just got a new cat. That probably wouldn't have happened. Whatever silver lining that happens right now, you don't have to feel guilty.

Because shit is always going to happen. How you react out of it, even on this level, will define that crisis time. Don't feel guilty for enjoying your little victories. Denying yourself that only lets the assholes win.

5th, if you're a parent of a child under 8, they will generally only remember feelings and images from this time. If you frame it as "we're helping people" and don't panic around them, they will mostly remember extra time together.

So don't try to overexplain or frame it in adult terms. They won't understand and that lack of understanding will just confuse or cause anxiety. Keep it simple, stay positive around them, and that is what they will take away.

That's been the bulk of my discussions during sessions since this started. I know therapy is not in reach for everyone so I hope this helps a little bit. As always, may the Force be with you, live long and prosper, and Allons-y.