Karen Comer

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The pandemic paradox

April 10, 2020 by Karen Comer 26 Comments

Last weekend, I read the newspaper from cover to cover, noticing the slimness of the sports and real estate sections and the absence of the travel section.

And I tidied up Mr 10’s bedroom while listening to a podcast and put a lamb shoulder in the slow cooker and found several vitally important pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and wrote a few notes for my novel, while listening to the rain.

By the time it was evening, the lamb smelt savoury and Miss 13 started making a rhubarb crumble and Mr 16 got ready for his evening supermarket shift, and I realised it had been a really good day. Wonderfully cosy to listen to the rain while good food cooked and there was the possibility of a movie or book after dinner.

And that’s the paradox of COVID-19, that I can have a good day while someone else makes funeral arrangements for a gathering of ten mourners and someone else showers off the remains of their hospital shift and someone does their budget for the 11th time and realises their life has shrunk even more and someone else curls up in a ball and sobs with anxiety because they’ve lost their job.

And while that is probably the case all the time – someone has a promotion, someone loses their job, someone has a new baby, someone buries a loved one, someone spends the night with 100 of their closest friends at a party and someone aches with loneliness – this pandemic has heightened all of the feelings.

In a recent podcast, Brene Brown spoke about comparative suffering. It’s okay to feel upset if you can’t go on an overseas trip you’ve planned for six months, while your neighbour is upset because she’s lost her job. It’s okay to feel upset because your kids are home with you all the time while your friend can’t go to her aunt’s funeral. It’s okay to feel upset because your golf club or hairdresser or favourite restaurant has shut while your neighbour is working long shifts at a hospital and is self-isolating so she can’t hug her small kids.

It’s okay to grieve for everything you’ve lost. And it’s also okay to take pleasure in a tidy cupboard or a completed jigsaw or a delicious meal. Because not taking pleasure in a walk on a sunny day doesn’t help your friend to get her job back.

Put it down to the pandemic paradox.

There’s a beautiful loving-kindness meditation I’ve been practising on Insight Timer, a free meditation app. It’s a repetition of a few phrases – the words below come from Sharon Salzberg’s meditation.

May I be safe

May I be happy

May I be healthy

May I live with ease.

You begin with focusing on yourself, then think of someone you love, then someone you know, then someone you don’t know.

At the moment, I think this covers everyone – the busy, stressed essential workers, the ones who have lost their job, the grandparents and grandchildren missing each other, the kids who have lost their friends and sport and freedom, the bored ones at home and the policy-makers. Loving-kindness to us all, especially over this Easter weekend.

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Comments

  1. Felicity says

    April 10, 2020 at 8:48 am

    What a beautiful post, Karen. Sums up so much of what we’re experiencing in this also. I do also feel immense gratitude at being one of the “lucky ones”. Lots of love.

    Reply
    • John I. says

      April 10, 2020 at 4:10 pm

      Well done Karen, you have shown in this piece the sad irony that it takes a pandemic to show how the human situation should be viewed in
      “normal” times

      Reply
      • Karen Comer says

        April 16, 2020 at 2:52 pm

        Thanks for reading and commenting, John.

        Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm

      I’m really grateful, too, Felicity.

      Reply
  2. Wendy says

    April 10, 2020 at 9:06 am

    Beautifully said, Karen!

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm

      Thanks so much, Wendy. Hope you’re all well.

      Reply
  3. Penelope Hundt says

    April 10, 2020 at 9:07 am

    Love it.

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks, Penny!

      Reply
  4. Lee says

    April 10, 2020 at 9:27 am

    Karen so beautifully put. And I’m going to do Sharon’s meditation. ❤️

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      Hope you liked her meditation, Lee!

      Reply
  5. Pamela says

    April 10, 2020 at 9:56 am

    Thank you Karen. Reaching out anyway you can, always helps someone.

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks, Pam.

      Reply
  6. Terri Dixon says

    April 10, 2020 at 10:12 am

    Loving-kindness is always the way to go.

    Easter greetings to all.

    Terri.

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      I agree, Terri.

      Reply
  7. Nicole Avery says

    April 10, 2020 at 10:45 am

    Beautiful post Karen. Happy Easter. Xxx

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      Thanks for reading, Nic! Hope you’re all well.

      Reply
  8. Vanessa says

    April 10, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    Karen, you have an amazing way with words. They’re not simply words on a page. You create a story conjuring up feeling and emotion – thank you, and Happy Easter! x

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      Thanks for your kind words, Ness.

      Reply
  9. Kelly says

    April 10, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    I loved this post Karen, thank you for sharing with us and Happy Easter !

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      Thanks, Kelly, hope you’re all well.

      Reply
  10. Renee says

    April 10, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    What a wonderful post Karen. So many wise and authentic thoughts.

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      Thanks, Renee, lovely feedback!

      Reply
  11. Caroline Touzeau says

    April 11, 2020 at 10:24 am

    Beautifully said & written Karen. So honest & true to how a lot of us feel. But I do believe we are the lucky ones. Take care & happy Easter to you and the family 😘

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      We are the lucky ones, Caz. Hope you’re all well.

      Reply
  12. Shirley Alexander says

    April 11, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    Thank you Karen for the wise and thought provoking words. Beautifully written. Safe Easter wishes to all.

    Reply
    • Karen Comer says

      April 16, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      Thank you, Shirley, I hope you’re well.

      Reply

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