Unity, even in isolation, is important for us all
The coronavirus pandemic is impacting our lives in so many ways. But among them, the need for distance and isolation has underscored just how important human connections are – and why, even as we are separated, it is critical that we work together.
Coronavirus has seemed to invade our lives and humble our society. Our streets are quiet but our illusion of stability has changed. We are dealing with great unknowns that have left many of us shaking to our very foundations.
While we strategize and try to temper this tiny microbe, we find ourselves resorting to very basic forms of protection – social distancing, handwashing, face masks, sheltering in place – we thought advancements in modern medicine had transcended.
Coronavirus is proving to be a great equalizer – cutting across all political, cultural and economic aspects of society. We have watched as a small organism, microscopic actually, has become a world superpower, power which would seem disproportionate to its size. If we have been here before – and we have (think the “Black Death” bubonic plague of the 14th century) – similar lessons are in store for us, lessons that must reach much further than supply chain protection.
But while the pandemic is a crisis of economic and existential magnitude, it has also forced us – and given us the opportunity – to examine those things that are essential, and perhaps more importantly, those that are not. It’s not surprising that many people find themselves reevaluating their priorities and lifestyle.
If there is one thing we can learn from this experience, let it be about our connection to one another. A critical realization in our global ecosystem is the renewed awareness that there is no “over there,” no “them,” – it is us, all of us. We have learned we must care as deeply about things that happen half-a-world away as we do about things that happen right next door, and especially in our own home.
University of Chicago neuroscientist John Cacioppo, co-author of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, makes a poignant if obvious observations about social isolation and loneliness: we feel lonely when we are disconnected. At the heart of this loneliness is the absence of meaningful connection.
In fact, research appears to show a correlation between our sense of loneliness and feelings of exhaustion. That’s just one cost of a disconnected society. At the same time, coronavirus has redefined the concept of “global” – because, paradoxically, the changes we are making to our lives are so personal. But it’s one of the most important things we must keep in mind.
Over the last month or so, it has become increasingly clear that if we are going to get to the “other side,” we are only going to get there if we are together, united in solidarity despite the current necessity of isolation. We are all going to have to make individual efforts and sacrifice for the common good. We must be connected in purpose even as we are distant in place.
As we rocket through this time of transition, our hope helps us to establish a relationship with our future, a future we must move toward emboldened, compassionate, and with a spirited heart. And we must do the mental, emotional and spiritual work necessary to trust one another, to ‘love our neighbor.’ In this precarious time, our very lives may depend on it.
Connectedness – so critical to the recovery of the individuals we serve at our agency – is critical for all of us right now; unity, even in isolation. In the words of Anglican priest Henry Melville (1798-1871): You cannot live for yourselves; a thousand fibers connect you with your fellow men, and along those fibers, as along sympathetic threads, run your actions as causes, and return to you as effects.
Be safe and remember: we are all in this together, and the only way we will move on is together.
Melanie Dallas is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of Highland Rivers Health,
which provides treatment and recovery services for individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in the 12-county
region of Northwest Georgia.