I’ve been reflecting a lot recently about our need as humans for community. Our need to have others around us who know what we are going through, what we are struggling with, to be with us in the highs and the lows. I love this picture of Pooh and Piglet together and the little exchange they have. To me, this shows there is power in facing struggles with someone by your side; “difficult days are so much easier when you know you’ve got someone there for you.” What stands out to me is that Piglet doesn’t try to fix Pooh’s situation or cheer him up, or even give him advice. He just sits with him, he enters into Poohs “difficult day” so that Pooh doesn’t have to face his difficult day alone.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster during this lockdown period. One day I’m dancing around the living room to blaring music, the next I’m curled up on my bed having a bit of a cry. Sometimes I can identify why I’m feeling low and talk through it as I process my emotions, and other times I can’t pinpoint the reason for my mood, it just is… But what I’m learning is that:

We are living in “unprecedented” times and we are all learning how to do life in a completely different way. We are all restricted with socialising, some of us aren’t able to work, or there are other new pressures in our lives. It’s a bizarre way of life and that’s bound to have an effect. But it’s not forever.

To quote Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings) “it’s only a passing thing, this shadow” it will come to an end. But until it does, how can we enter into people’s “difficult days” so they’re not in it alone?

How can we allow others into OUR “difficult days”?

The tough reality of our current situation (with COVID-19 restrictions) is that physically being there for people isn’t necessarily an option. We aren’t able to pop round to a friend’s house to be with them or to meet for coffee to chat through our “difficult days”. But what CAN we do?

STAY CONNECTED!

Check-in with your friends, drop them messages, organise video calls, play online games together, keep in regular contact. And if you are having a “difficult day” then reach out to someone who you love and trust because they won’t know you’re struggling if you don’t tell them. We are not built to do life alone.

Through the ups and downs, the highs and lows, through the good days, the bad days and everything in between; allow others in and do life together.