focus feature
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We’re not one-dimensional beings
And it shows We can feel many emotions at once, especially in a time of crisis and its’s ok, so says Megan Minutillo.
T
hroughout this pandemic, my best friends and I have been checking in on one another via this text message thread that we’ve set up. Sometimes the messages are funny – silly memes, ridiculous anecdotes about the trips to the refrigerator. New cocktail discoveries that we’ve found through virtual happy hours and wild thoughts that come into our brains as time moves forward. Sometimes, the messages are full of anxiety, sadness, and fear. It’s a visual confirmation that we’re not alone in our worry about tomorrow and our nostalgia for the things we cannot do at the moment. Recently one of these dear friends had to take unpaid leave. She told us how terrifying it felt – that she was worried about money, and that she missed her work, and that even though she was
quarantined at home, work helped her get through her day. It gave her a sense of balance throughout these crazy times – even though she was juggling being a wife and a mother alongside that, too. But then our dear friend also expressed that she felt guilty for saying so – that she should be grateful for what she does have and be more patient during this time. She expressed shame for being upset as if she had no right to be stressed about her lack of employment. It was at that moment that we, her best gals, came through – and she received several with text messages that reminded her that it was ok to be sad. It was ok to be stressed. It was ok to be worried, and anxious, and that feeling those feelings didn’t negate the gratitude that she did feel. Continued on next page careersuccess magazine issue 2020
