The Working Title is…Can I Get An Amen?

Like the rest of the world, the last few months have left me feeling anxious and unsettled.  I usually put pen to paper when emotion gets the best of me, but even that has seemed impossible.  Nothing feels right anymore.

Can I get an Amen?

I know there are lessons all around.  Truths waiting to rise to the surface in a sea of confusion.  But the weight of the world keeps dragging me down.

Can I get an Amen?

While true strength comes from within, it only exists there because of what feeds it….

Family, friends and faith (see future Chapter F) are the one true constant on which a devoted heart can depend.  In the absence of extensive human contact, these months have been defined by imagery.  Can I see past the divisive, painful imagery found in social media and the accompanying comments filled with vitriol?

Even though I may feel lonely, can I acknowledge I am never truly alone?

Can I get an Amen?

My head has been spinning over the barrage of misinformation that comes from every angle.  True verifiable facts seem non-existent.  I’ve had to “leave the conversation” of three group chats because they made my heart race.  (Sorry, girls, I’ll be back one day when all we talk about is bad television and good wine.)

I don’t know where to turn for reliable insight, sage advice and pure fact. (See future Chapter I is for Information.)

I took a journalism class or two at Marquette University and had a former White House Press Secretary as my Academic Advisor.  We were taught to have TWO credible sources for every fact quoted. Hey NBC News, you know what “he had heard from colleagues” equates to?  Hearsay. Disallowed in a court of law and should be disallowed in the court of public opinion.  Maybe it’s true, but how about you (and by “you” I mean all journalists) quit being so lazy and sucked into the trap of a 24-hour news cycle where verifiable facts don’t matter anymore.

Can I get an Amen?

My heart has been heavy because my mind’s eye can picture a loved one in respiratory distress, and I intimately know how a ventilator can steal the chance at Goodbye.  (See future Chapter G.)  I count my blessings everyday that my family has not yet been touched by coronavirus.

Can I get an Amen?

Ok, ok…in the interest of journalistic integrity, I confess that none of those future Chapters are written yet.  Not a one. They’re all just bouncing around in my noggin.

And maybe that’s the most important lesson of Quarantine.  If you have something of value to say…say it. Reach out to an old friend.  Tell someone they’ve made a difference in your life.  Ask forgiveness.  Let go of anger.  Offer praise.  Say I love you.  For we may have all sorts of plans bouncing around our noggins, but only one thing is guaranteed…right now.

Can I get an Amen?

kmp

xoxo