Grieving during the Coronavirus pandemic.

        Hey ladies! I hope you are all doing well. We are all in this together! Today I want to talk about mental health during the corona-virus outbreak. This is a stressful time for all of us. Yesterday I got some pretty heavy news. I found out that the school that I am currently attending will be closing its doors forever. The moment I realized this I started having a panic attack, but fortunately I calmed down in a few minutes. This was devastating news for me even though I was a senior. I knew this day would come for me soon especially with graduation, but I though I would at least get to visit just like many alumni before me had. What I didn't realize the last time I walked through those hallways was that it would be the last time that both seniors, fellow students, and even our teachers would be together in a school setting. This was very traumatic for me. I felt selfish though for being sad especially since other people are having to go through much worse things. Then I started feeling guilty. I felt like if I hadn't complained so much maybe this wouldn't have happened. It was really just a bad night and I only got about five hours of sleep so excuse me if there are really bad grammar or spelling mistakes because right now I am exhausted. It finally occurred to me at three o'clock in the morning that I was grieving. My school was a very special place to me so after hearing bad news it is natural for me to feel this way even though it is definitely not the same thing as actually losing a loved one. I also learned that talking to friend and family helps. Today I talked with my class at school and my teachers through Zoom. I realized that I am not alone with these feelings and that they were having them too. It also reassured me that even though the school will be closed forever our closeness and a school family will not end. What I wanted to tell you guys is that its OK to grieve and be sad for the things and people that you have lost. With this pandemic we have lost many different things like graduation, prom, making memories with loved ones,our normal routine and lifestyle, etc., but one thing that we haven't lost is God. He is still here even though it might be hard to feel it sometimes. I encourage you to let you anxiety, fear, sadness, and any other negative feelings go because God loves you and he will not abandon or forsake you. There is hope in Jesus Christ!

Love,
Anjalee