Resilience in Times of Sorrow

I woke up today and realized I am struggling with my resilience. Usually I start the day believing I/we can change the world for the better. We will heal the sick, change frowns to smiles, and bring an aura of light to where there may be darkness. Yes, I know these are outrageous claims, but that is what resilience means to me. We bounce back after a hard day. We get up and try again, because trying again is the only option. It is what is expected of us. It is what is needed from us. Earlier this week a volunteer told me about a patient she is working with whose life is full of difficult challenges, but she still believes tomorrow will be a better day. Stories like that are what has always helped build my resilience. But today my resilience is being tested. Events over the last week have tried my typically sunny outlook. So many innocent people being hurt and killed. So much hate being publicly spilled. The rhetoric and words by our leaders filled with racist chants that sound like calls to action. I can no longer live in my bubble of denial and this weighs heavy on my resilience. So what do we do when we need help? We should not be afraid to ask for it – so I am asking all of you – share with me words of hope and love and belief that tomorrow will be better. It is our collective positive energy that will get us through.