“I’m having a really, really, really bad day,” I said to my husband. “All this quarantine stress is getting to me, and the drama at work is hard to take, and I’m so tired.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “Please remember that you’ve got a 100% survival rate for previous difficult days.”
And just like that, I felt a lot better.
My husband is often really good at saying the right thing. And his words gave me a perspective that I’d never contemplated before. Yeah. I’m a survivor. So are you. We’re here, right? We have won this competition, every single solitary day, for our entire lives. Check that off the to-do list. Winning!
That standpoint makes me feel empowered. It makes me feel capable. It gives me the strength to carry on. I’ve made it through more than 20,000 days so far. This silly little day is child’s play. I’ve got this! You’ve got this, too!
I hope I never forget this lesson. Thanks, dear husband! Your positivity will see me through.
Check this out, y’all. I wrote a book! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5
The View from a Drawbridge 
Yes, take the wins where you can, but remember you can’t force positivity by ignoring negative pressures that build up during stressful times. It’s healthy to express the feelings and fears, they generate, to someone appropriate. Suppressing doesn’t negate them or lessen your pain. Barb, you still deserve and need to be heard, so I’m listening…
So are these resources https://www.helplinecenter.org/2-1-1-community-resources/helpsheets/covid-19-and-your-mental-health/ Maybe you can share these resources with your readers in a future posting.
I don’t feel that I’m supressing. I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut. But reframing things in a positive light is a useful tool as well. Glad to know you’re out there, though, Lyn. 🙂
Hi there, bridgetender! It may have just been a coincidence when I noticed it lately; are you guys sounding a long horn at 8pm to thank health care workers? I was thinking about blowing off some quarantine steam (and expressing love and gratitude) by joining your joyful noise. Just wondering, – a neighbor
I’m definitely doing it when I work swing shift at University Bridge in Seattle! And I’ve encouraged all my coworkers on all the bridges to do the same, but I don’t know if they’re actually following through. I hope so. Thank you, front line workers, for all that you do!
Also, if you do facefook, join my Drawbridge Lovers group! We’d love to hear from you!