Not Letting Coronavirus Pandemic Steal My Peace This pandemic has thrown a lot of things off kilter. Three weeks ago, I was planning on attending two conferences, going to France at the end of May, and leading my first research project this summer. Now, I am scrambling for refunds for my cancelled conferences and waiting to hear news about my France trip and my summer plans. The days leading up to the mandatory quarantines were stressful. There was so much unknown and so much misinformation. I wasn’t sure how the disease was spread, what the treatment options were, or how quickly a vaccine could be made. I just kept hearing Coronavirus, Coronavirus, Coronavirus – no real context or explanation. Credible sources were few and far between.
Turning on the news was the most distressing part of my day. Either the stock market was plunging, or the rate of unemployment was rising - states running out of ventilators and projected deaths in the hundred thousands. On top of all of this, as class president of my medical school class, I was working with administration and acting as a relay for my classmates. In a spur of moment decision, my roommate and I decided to leave our apartments and travel back to our home states (don’t worry, we quarantined ourselves for two weeks when we got home). At home I decided to make some changes. Minimal news coverage, better wellness habits, better financial habits (check my other blog post about how this virus exposed my poor financial habits) and learning to let go of what I cannot change. My paycheck for last week was late, and I was told that I won’t be getting it until the next pay period due to technical errors. Yes, that money would be nice right now, but I have to learn to live the next two weeks on a tighter budget which should be easy since there’s nowhere to go and no one to see. My exam is going to be remote, and I will have to become comfortable taking a test in an environment that I am not used to. During these times, I am learning to trust God. I have focused more on wellness including a good skincare and nighttime routine, daily stretching and exercising, journaling and devotions, calling friends and family to check on them, eating properly (I am known to accidentally skip meals when I’m stressed), and focusing on what I can control which includes acing the test I have to take tomorrow! For everybody who is currently affected by Coronavirus (which is basically everybody), if you’re reading this, I hope it gives you some hope. It is okay to not be okay. And it is okay if you are still adjusting to this temporary normal. Take it one day at a time. Focus on what you can do and what you can change. Instead of focusing on past decisions that would have made your present more bearable, focus on present decisions that will set you up for a happier future. Let others know if you’re struggling and don’t be too proud to get help. Remember that every other human you know is right there with you. We are all in this together. I pray that everybody reading this will be filled with peace as we overcome this pandemic the only way we can - together. Mark 4:39: And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm xoxo, Faith Zingeswar
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“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
I own four different copies of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - a beautiful pink paperback edition, an illustrated ebook, a regular ebook, and an audiobook beautifully narrated by Rosamund Pike. I also own countless fanfiction-esque Pride and Prejudice stories including Pride and Popularity by Jenni James, Pies and Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick, and Jane and Austen by Stephanie Flowers et. al. I have played the Pride and Prejudice choose-your-own-adventure game multiple times (I completed every story arc). I have watched almost every remake, with the 2005 Kiera Knightley version being my favorite. It is my go to movie. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book, not because of what Jane Austen wrote, but because of what she left unsaid. Pride and Prejudice fan fiction is so diverse because there are so many What if scenarios to explore. So many side characters just begging to be fleshed out by a devoted fan willing to take the time to delve beneath the surface and pull up a fleshed out story for say Ms. Mary Bennet or Colonel Fitzwilliam - two of my favorite underrated characters. |
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