Life in quarantine, a breeze for some, a nuisance for others, and even danger.

Never in the history of the world has there ever been such an abrupt stop to everyday life. Events that have shaken us, depleted us, segregated us, or even united us, have never taken us to where we are now. Our economy likely will recover eventually, but we have a big hill to climb. For now we are all having to put our lives on hold by staying put. So, what is quarantine? What is self-isolation? What is a stay-at-home order, and what's the difference? Most of us are not in quarantine. That is when you are placed in a location, either alone or with others, because you have a condition that is a threat to you or to others. In quarantine you are required to, for a period of time, keep away from others that are not ill. Usually because you are an immediate threat to a wide population, and must be separated imminently. You have very little in the way of outside contact or essential services such as groceries. Self-isolation is when you are asked (more so told, usually by a doctor) to stay alone, or with others asked to do the same, for a period of time because you have a communicable disease. A stay-at-home order is a request or requirement by the government to keep people from going out in public. Although this can have many variables, we are expected to comply with the measures being taken for the situation at hand. Many people choose to rebel, others to only do what does not inconvenience them, but most follow along. My guess is that some do not think about the consequences of their actions, which is a very common human behavior. I have also seen videos of people who flat out don't care. We are given the benefit of the doubt as humanitarians, and some will just not live up. One thing to be careful of, and grateful for is that we are not in Marshal Law. If this virus we are fighting gets a lot worse, I believe we could end up that way. We must do right by paying attention so we don't end up confined completely. Certainly there is a need for more knowledge and information. The fact that the internet and news is full of stories about the COVID-19 pandemic, doesn't mean people know what they should know. It is common for someone to completely ignore something they don't know about or understand. So how can we expect everyone to comply when they may not know why they should? This is the kind of information we need, versus numbers and gloom. Educate the masses correctly and wisdom will prevail. Helping others understand by making sense of what we have to do and why, will certainly highlight the importance of everyone abiding.

Of course we must also applaud the ones that are taking this in stride. A lot of people are content with staying home. Some feel completely unfazed by what is going on because they have no problem keeping away from society. Not the case for all people. Some folks can spend months just hanging out with the family, and not need to go anywhere. Some feel a little inconvenienced, but are good with following along. It's like a line at an amusement park to them, if you want to ride, it is what it is with the line. Same here, you are doing your part by not going out in public when asked not to. I believe that most of us are like this. Most of us are not going to go against the grain. People who can blend in, or go with the flow, is what I think the majority are. If it is safer to stay away from others, and keep your family protected, most of us will do that. Safety is a priority for most, in most situations, which is an innate feature. However, safety can have a very broad definition. Some don't feel safe where others might, so interpretation is not exclusive. Just like with most things, safety has it's limitations. Many tend to push those limits. We are safer at home right now, no matter what your life is like. We can all feel safety when others are doing what is necessary. The old saying "there's safety in numbers," can hold true here. The more people that are complying, the less the risk to the rest of us.

Sadly with most circumstances that create stress, there can be complications. One of the things you are hearing of today is how some lives are being completely changed by being isolated. Unfortunately stress can bring to light some things that may have been ignored or avoided. Family dynamics can play a huge role in the outcome of a forced situation. Domestic violence is a big problem today, but has become a huge concern for some that have to be isolated with each other. People are acting on their fears, which can create more stress, or misunderstanding. We are all affected by the current situation, all of us. So we should try and remember that our behavior could be coming from the fear and stress of what the world has been dealt lately. Some people are living in fear of this virus, and also of their living environment. If we take time to think of how to make isolating ourselves less stressful, we may find a way through the bad that can develop. Now is not the time to evaluate your marriage, or your partnership. A huge wrench has been shoved into the works, and it has nothing to do with your relationship. Those things that are a part of your relationship with someone should not be mixed in with the stress of the current epidemic. In other words, the best way to not let this pandemic be a part of your life with someone else is to remember that neither one of you chose this. We are all having to learn how to cope with the way this outbreak has affected our lives. If there were problems before this, then that is all you should work on. Don't bring more into it with something that has nothing to do with you, or them? Plus, now is the time to unite and push through together, not to deal with dynamics. There will be plenty of time, with less to worry about once this is over, to address those things. Find a way to put on hold the problems that existed before this virus outbreak. We have more than enough to deal with right now. Plus it makes being rational about things harder when you are dealing with so many things at once.

Now as for domestic violence, I will be a little less diplomatic about this. It must stop. If you are one who causes this type of problem, stop being a coward, stop being a bully, and stop preying on weaker, more vulnerable people in your life. People who abuse other people physically or emotionally, and think they are tough because they do, are just cowards. Some are sick, and need help. Prayer can help, but don't just leave it at that, if you see something, say something, or do something. I assure you that the person being abused is looking for someone to step in and help. Don't look the other way, but don't get too involved either. There are appropriate people out there to handle these situations.

No matter what kind of dynamics you may be dealing with, nobody said this was going to be easy. As I mentioned before though, there is not a person on earth that is not affected by this pandemic in some way. But, please try to enjoy the family time that is seldom available. God bless you all. Happy Easter.