April 2020: Will NYC Ever Be the Same?
It’s April and oh boy, what a ride it’s been through COVID. We are all tired, but It sounds like if we can keep the pace of vaccines increasing, we are going to be in a better place soon. You might be asking yourself, where can I find the patience and energy to get through the rest of this with so many more challenges ahead?
Over the past year, we have all been given a different snapshot of how we deal with stress on so many different levels. Some of us become angry in so many forms (depression being probably the most common, because depression is anger at its core), some become more compassionate towards ourselves and others, some go numb to realities, and some just trail blaze through the different circumstances we all have never seen.
I think for many, the stress highlights where home is for you, where your heart feels content, and how important it is to surround yourself with like-minded people who share your values and concerns. I’m lucky to be able to live outside of the city while things have been so intense, to have a less stressful situation for my family. I miss the city, but I know right now the city is not the same, just as many other towns and cities are not the same. I go back and forth to the city only for necessary trips like the doctor, dentist, and anything essential that I don’t have with us. Every time I go back to the city, the streets look as if it’s a holiday weekend, when the city empties out.
Most recently when I visited, though, there was an increase in the amount of people walking around the streets– nothing like pre-pandemic, but not empty like my other visits during the winter. The city will have its challenges from this pandemic, but this visit assured me that it will work its way back to being the New York we all read about, where dreams are made of. Each time I see people I know on my visit, I feel a sigh of relief knowing these people are like-minded, sharing the same tolerance and concern for others despite the common stereotype that New Yorkers can get about being self-absorbed. Yes, there are self-absorbed people in the city, but you can find self-absorbed people anywhere. New Yorkers live at a much faster pace, and I think people often mistake the pace as rude or short.
The thing is, New Yorkers keep it real, and real can sometimes come across as brash, or not as soft as one might like. But there is a persistence to New Yorkers that is often hard to match. It’s this persistence that creates those dreams and makes it the wonderful city that it is. I have lived in NYC for over twenty years and every time we get knocked to our knees, that persistence reappears and we build it back up again.
This is going to be what the rest of this country and world will need to do and can do. We are all being tested like no other and wow, has it been hard, but we can all find that source of strength within to start building life back to a new normal. It can’t be done alone. It just can’t; it’s too large of an undertaking and requires those like-minded people that surround you with the same values to keep kicking until we don’t have to kick anymore, and the door stays open so the wind of renewed energy can come through. We do this through helping one another. So keep helping. Keep helping those around you get this vaccine if they are willing to get it. Keep helping even though you are tired. There is always someone more tired than you and if you need help, ask. The resources are there and better times are ahead. We also have support from above. I know this in my heart. We have an entire army of spiritual beings looking out for us, guiding us, giving us nudges, connecting us. They want to help us heal. Lean on those spiritual helpers. Speak to them. They will respond in ways that speak back to you so that you know they are there. Guaranteed.
The marathon is coming to an end and we will go back home to the city when we feel it is right for us. It will be different, but it will build itself back up again just as all the other cities, towns, and really the world will do. In the meantime, take lots of deep breaths and know better times are ahead for all because of the innovation of humankind. When we work together, we are all miracle makers in our own way and don’t forget the powers above for some added support.