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Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What CAN You Do?

Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What CAN You Do? Part 3

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by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

As a senior, my daughter has worried about my safety regarding a visit with the children who have been in school. As a grandmother, I have worried about the safety of my children’s visit due to my every-day whereabouts and choices. The biggest fear for all of us is, will I get my loved ones sick without knowing I might be carrying the virus?

After much discussion, our family has decided to get together at their home and have agreed to follow the “rules” for a safe, smaller gathering.

In my wildest thoughts, I never imagined life as it has been for these past months. But looking beyond all the stresses and challenges of the times, these are the days when we must feel the spirit of gratitude and joy as we celebrate family, friendship, and togetherness. Whatever venue each family chooses, it is important to not lose the focus for that which the holiday truly represents. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you CAN do. Be creative and make the best of it and, above all, be thankful for each other.

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What Remains the Same

Holidays Are Veiled By Pandemic, What Remains the Same? Part 2

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by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

We, as women, are the big planners. The holidays are a time that we joyously plan ahead with decorating, creating festive menus, arranging travel and visiting accommodations, and shopping, gifting and wrapping. This year, however, we are in limbo and the normal course has been thrown into frenzy, laced with anxiety and unknowns. Our 2020 plans totally hinge on the status of the Covid virus. The big question is: Do we stay home? If the choice is to stay at home, what will the menus in each household be? At the request of my children, (who live 3 hours away), is there a way to make and send my mother’s traditional, Southern, cornbread stuffing? (This has been a staple in our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for over 60 years.)

If the choice is to get together, the strategy encompasses Covid testing (for all attendees), revisiting and possibly revising the small guest list, (who can be trusted to follow the safety rules), masking, social distancing during meal prep and visits, safe-distancing table or outdoor seating arrangements, and safe, protected accommodations. Whew! What traditions will you carry on? What remains the same?

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What Have You Learned

Unmasking Your Vision For What’s Next – Part 4

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What Have You Learned?  by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

As I’ve moved through my own growth during this pandemic, I wanted to see how other women, similar to myself, were surviving and dealing with this disconcerting state of affairs. I drew up a compilation of diverse, Baby Boomer women and emailed a simple questionnaire. They, too, had been pondering similar questions and, in many cases, had internalized them. This was an opportunity for each to openly communicate her thoughts and feelings toward these months of the necessary but inconvenient lockdown.

Each woman was asked to write the first thoughts that came to mind.

Question: In one sentence, what have you learned about yourself?

With this question, 97% learned something positive from their experiences. These lessons included: I learned how to enjoy my own company; I will not take advantage of freedom ever again; I can adapt when necessary; I must stay stimulated and engaged with new things; I can depend on using my creativity and resourcefulness; I can learn to go with the flow; I know I need to let go of that which I have no control; I will work to remain positive and look for the brighter side of life; I need to do more acts of kindness; I can overcome my anxiety through mindfulness; I am stronger than I thought.

These results, on the most part, did not surprise me. We, as women who have lived 55 or more years of life, have dealt with many a challenge. Some of us have faced divorce, lost loved ones, lost jobs, combatted illnesses, and taken care of others in need — to name just a few of life’s ordeals. The common thread I found through this survey is that we can find the good in the worst of times and through that, we do more than survive, we thrive.

As we personally move ahead, we find that the sadness, fears and inconveniences of the Covid-19 pandemic still exist, of course. But the time we have had to reflect and contemplate perhaps has strengthened us and helped us to cope and form a new vision toward what we need to do next. Although the years behind us may out-number the ones we have ahead, we know that we can have the energy, creativity, and drive to thrive.

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What Three Words Describe Your Experience

Unmasking Your Vision For What’s Next – Part 3

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What Three Words Describe Your Experience?  by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

Having the time to look back at (the lesson of learning to “Dance in the Rain” during my husbands Alzheimer’s experience,) I ask myself, why wouldn’t this work now in dealing with the stagnant circumstances of today? The fear of the pandemic virus is still terrifying, but I understand that patience, attitude, and creativity have helped me to find new methods of safely taking part in life and fulfilling my purpose. My time alone has given me the chance to see with more clarity.

This was my learning, but I wanted to see how other women, similar to myself, were surviving and dealing with this disconcerting state of affairs. I drew up a compilation of diverse, Baby Boomer women and emailed a simple questionnaire. Of those gaged, the majority responded immediately, expressing an appreciation of the invitation to share their thoughts on this issue.

Each woman was asked to write the first thoughts that came to mind.

Question: With the seven months of unyielding solitude during this quarantine, what three words come to mind to describe what you have felt?

Of the 35 participants, 70% listed at least one positive word to describe their spirits including such terms as Hope; faith; peacefulness; blessings; comfort; resilience; flexibility; empathy; reflection; renewal. The most used description among them was gratitude and gratefulness.

On the other hand, 30% listed only negative descriptions such as: Uncertainty; purposeless; loneliness; anger; limitation; social disruption; boredom; and, understandably, the most used terms of: anxiety and fear.

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Unmasking Your Vision For What’s Next

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How Do I Move Forward?  by Margo Ewing Woodacre, MSW

As our country enters into the eighth month of the Covid-19 Pandemic with its uncertainties, frustrations and fears, we find ourselves at a crossroad looking for direction of what might be next for us, our country, and for our world. The benefit, perhaps, from this bedlam has been the unyielding amount of time that has been imposed upon us, which has allowed self-introspection of where we have been, where we are, and where we want to be with the rest of our lives in this changing domain.

As a female, Baby Boomer widow, who has lived a life full of transitions and self re-invention, I have struggled to find answers during this Pandemic nightmare. When the world seemed to stop, I wanted to get off! I felt fear, anger, loneliness, and frustration. At 70, with the reality kicking in that I was in the latter segment of my life journey, these startling questions baffled me, Is this it? Is there more? How do I move forward?

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