You Can Give Up or Stand Up

You Can Give Up or Stand Up

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“Don't forget that you're human. It's okay to have a melt down. Just don't unpack and live there. Cry it out and then refocus on where you are headed."- Unknown

Have you ever been driving and so deep in thought that you missed your exit? I’ve noticed more and more that I seem to be operating on auto-pilot and missed exits have become the norm. My brain must be sending signals to my body because I’m moving, but more gingerly- more absent-mindledly. In fact, if there is a reboot of “The Walking Dead” I might make an excellent addition to the cast of the zombie-infected post-apocalyptic world. 

Frankly, driving around lately, it feels and looks like a post-apocalyptic world.  Think about it. Empty roads, abandoned stores, hoarding of essential resources, families barricading themselves inside their homes and suspicious eyes peeking out over masked faces. Am I right or am I right? 

In the first couple of weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was experiencing a combination of denial, peppered with a smidgen of amusement and head-shaking as toilet paper literally began to roll off the shelves. Who would have thought that the hoarding of toilet paper would symbolize human behavior at the start of this pandemic?  

Although not necessarily rational (toilet paper will not prevent you from getting the virus), for some reason toilet paper equaled safety to the masses. Interestingly, our fear of the indignity of human bodily functions resulted in more discussion and air time regarding toilet paper than would ever be considered dignified.  FYI:  In case of an emergency, although not ideal, we all have a bucket and hose. And I consider myself a classy lady. Just sayin’.  

In reflection, the hoarding of toilet paper is minuscule in comparison to the death and destruction caused by COVID-19. California jumped into action to slow the spread of the virus by closing down all non-essential businesses and initiating a stay-at-home order. After weeks of isolating and social distancing, the stress and anxiety of this new normal is getting to people, including me. I am blessed to be working and have children who can care for themselves (unless they can’t find something, don’t know what to eat or need money). For a lot of people, they are either out of work, have reduced hours or have to stay home to care and/or home-school their young children. This is a heavy burden, both financially and emotionally.

As a leader, when dealt with a crisis, you don’t have time to dwell because rapid decisions need to be made to safeguard your team and the services you provide. It is easy to keep yourself distracted from reality when you are worrying about keeping your employees employed and your customer’s served. But what goes up, must come down and that is exactly what happened to me last week. 

As things began to quiet down a bit as we learned a new way of operating, the stress and anxiety of the preceding weeks began to rage inside of me. And what does a girl need during times of sadness and stress? Wine? Well, yes. Ice Cream? Duh. But this girl needed to add one more ingredient to what she needed -her Mommy!  What is it about our Moms that seem to make everything better?

So, I grabbed a glass of wine and made that call. 

“Hi Mom, you busy?” I asked as I sipped my wine.

“Ya, I’m real busy. I haven’t left the house in days! My big excitement was going to the grocery store where this lady asked if she could pray over me,” she responded with a snarky giggle (Ya, it runs in the family).

“Did you know her?”

“Nope. She just came up to me and ask if she could pray for me. I didn’t know what to say so I said sure, but make it quick.”

Slightly prodding her, “Wow that was nice of her. It’s probably because you are older and she was worried you were out and about.”

“What do you mean old? She couldn’t even see my face. I had my mask on!” 

As soon as my mom heard I was having a glass of wine she put the phone down. When she returned she said, “Ok, I got myself a glass of wine. Now we can have a glass of wine together and chat.” And that is exactly what we did for close to an hour. We laughed, we complained, I cried, she told me everything will be okay, we laughed some more, we talked about my heartache, my dad and anything and everything else that was on my mind. 

After I got off the phone, I called my visiting 20-year-old cub into the kitchen. She’s not the affectionate type like me. But, she let me wrap my arms around her and gently place (okay, force) her head to rest on my shoulder. “I just want you to know if you ever need me, I am here.” She tried to wiggle free, but I held her even tighter until she gave in to a mother’s hug. 

We are all going to go through ups and downs as we navigate all of the changes to our daily lives. It’s okay to break down. It’s okay to need a timeout. It’s okay to need your Mommy. Then, wipe your tears, put a smile on your face and get right back at it. We only have two choices. We can give up or we can stand up. I choose to stand. Will you join me?  

Thank you to staff who contacted me wondering where the Monday Moment was. I wasn't being the motivator after a rough couple days until you motivated me. This just shows that we are in this together. Thank you!

Let’s embrace Mondays, and everyday, with excitement. We will do it together, each Monday – for a moment.

Jeana Brooks

Human Resources & Communications Director

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