Today’s blog post is a creative outlet. Maybe you identify with part of it. Maybe it inspires you to reflect on your own journey through this pandemic. May it give you hope!
It started off with disbelief.
We were sent home, to the quiet, the questions and the calm
It felt like an early holiday to some, to others – financial ruin.
Which side were you on?
Did you Netflix all day?
Did you bake bread, make jam, lounge at the pool?
Did your case load shift to hours of zoom?
Or did you spend your days anxiously cleaning every room?
Did the kids drive you crazy, with noise and incessant snacking?
Or were you alone, isolated, craving company and family?
Were you grateful for the extra time with your babies?
Were you panicked by interrupted meetings and daily changes?
A time of tons of new rules, regulations.
Face masks, and hand washing and sanitisation
Did you find a way to play via screen?
Read bedtime stories? Online magazines?
We’ve drafted consent forms and practice plans,
Opened windows, disinfected handles,
Packed away excess,
Covered with plastics,
Bought expensive thermometers,
Put up screening charts and posters,
Banned water bottles and shoes
And high-5’s, the list feels endless
Hours of cleaning to be able to welcome
Those precious little people we miss so much
Their smiles hidden behind visors and masks
Be safe! Don’t sneeze! Don’t touch!
What are they thinking? How do they feel?
Do they know it’s me? Are they keen to play?
Some eyes betray their childish confidence
Some seem oblivious,
Dive into the safe space they’ve missed
How will this affect them? What are we teaching them?
That the world is dangerous? That a cough can hurt them?
That hugs and kisses are only for family?
That being yourself, spontaneous, is potentially damaging?
For toddlers and preschoolers and older kids too
This monster steals away playtime, friends are few
What far-reaching consequences will affect their mental state?
What strange new normal can we try to mitigate?
Come on! We’re OT’s! Our toolboxes are HUGE.
We’ve got approaches and devices,
Webinars and mentors,
Skill sets,
Research bases,
Support systems in various places.
Adapting, being flexible is what we do best.
We’re advocates,
Frontline fighters,
Activists,
Programme writers.
Looking back, hindsight’s going to be 2020
We’ll acknowledge this year came with lessons aplenty.
Did you work through the discouragement?
Did you give yourself a breather?
Are you ready to come back
Stronger together?