Experiencing the same thing differently
Even though we are all experiencing the coronavirus pandemic, it is easy to forget that we are experiencing it differently. Our own lens may not be the lens of others.
As we check in on our friends, neighbors, and relatives during this time, let’s remind ourselves to create space for the other to speak about what they are feeling. Let’s not assume that their experience is similar to our own. Ask open-ended questions and pause for the answer. Simply hold the space for the other to speak.
A small and incomplete sampling of our different experiences:
Health-care workers are scared because there is not enough protective gear for them, and not enough medical equipment to meet the needs of patients.
Gig workers are experiencing lost income for an indefinite period of time.
Parents are trying to figure out how to home-school their children while also doing their jobs.
Some businesses are ramping up; others are closing.
Some people are enjoying time to take up a project that has long been on the back burner.
Some are enjoying making music and sharing it.
Some are energized by the opportunity to sow love and connection.
Some are concerned about what the economy will look like when we finally recover.
The list of different experiences goes on and on. Don’t judge any of them. The experience of joy from sowing love is as legitimate as the experience of fear from being on the front lines without adequate protection.
One of the most important things we can do right now is to be present to the other’s experience as we share our different perspectives on the same event.
———
Copyright © 2020 Sharon V. Kristjanson. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to our newsletter to see Practical Tips related to every blog-post; only subscribers have access.