The pandemic is horrible for some people. Aside from the death and illness, there's the joblessness, eviction, etc., and all the anxiety that comes with it. It's also worth acknowledging that, for people who haven't fallen on hard times, it's not easy. If you don't admit to /1

yourself that it's hard -- perhaps because you feel guilty that you don't have it as bad as others -- it'll sneak up on you and your reaction may come out sideways. For many, the isolation (or even relative isolation) is having a cumulative effect that's draining you. No two /2

ways about it: this disruption of regular life is hard on almost everyone. I often share on Twitter about how it's affecting me in the hopes of making it ok for others to recognize that they're feeling pretty crappy right now. This whole situation is just terrible. And /3

the fact that almost all of it could have been avoided if we'd had a competent, empathetic government free of Trump's corruption, adds a component of outrage that only makes things feel worse. This all takes a toll, and I'm not ashamed to admit I freaking hate it. I guess /4

this is a long-winded way of saying take care of yourself today. This is a shared experience of national misery. If you have resources, one thing that might lift your mood is donating to a cause that's helping people in this time. If you lack the resources for that, I /5

find music helps me, maybe music or something else will help you. Hang in there. We've got a long road ahead, and it's going to be tough going. But taking care of yourself is the first step toward being ready to rebuild when it's safe to do so.

-- Walt

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