This is a three part blog series from Survivor “Anonymous.” In this series, Anonymous shares her reflections on what she is learning about herself, her community, and her world during this season of living through COVD-19 and a global pandemic. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
WHAT I AM LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD.
The world can be dark and heavy, and it can also provide messages of growth. At the beginning of COVID, I felt overwhelmed by the world. I couldn't quite digest the sheer number of humans who were hurting as they fearfully clung to whatever safety they had to ride the virus out. Hyper-focused on the pandemic and its tragedy, I was only able to feed my own fear and harmful worldviews. What I have learned, however, is that if I adjust my attention, I can find evidence of the still painful, but powerful and humbling world events that are happening simultaneously. An example of this is that we are currently witnessing the globalization of community care and various social justice movements: the mobilization of individuals and resources on a scale that I have never witnessed before.
We all have a part to play, regardless of our stories, in strengthening awareness and hope. As I write this entry and reflect on what is going on in the world, it would be ignorant to not call attention to the fact that racially oppressed communities are disproportionally experiencing the adverse effects of COVID. It is further paramount that I acknowledge that the privilege that I hold as a white person has contributed to the supports that I have had access to - as it has underpinned society's faith in my “redeemability.”
When thinking about how COVID affects survivors, time should be spent considering how survivors of colour, those living with disabilities, have non-heteronormative sexualities and/or gender non-conforming identities may be experiencing the impact of COVID. Those whose identities exist at the intersections of marginalization experience reduced access to financial supports, secure housing, adequate health care and community resources. It is equally important to then ask ourselves how we can show up with a posture of ally-ship, actively working to reduce the additional barriers survivors face both directly and in our homes, workplaces, and institutions.
If you want to learn more about effective ally-ship check out this resource: https://guidetoallyship.com/
As I close this reflection series, I have learned that everything is interconnected: histories are connected to current events, and grief can trigger powerlessness, but reminders of powerlessness do not have to leave me helpless. I have learned that I need to be kinder to myself and continue to root in fruitful relationships. I have also learned that communities will panic together, but given the nudge can also heal together. Similarly, the world can be both scary and beautiful, and I can challenge myself to bend towards messages and movements of hope.
I have learned that I need to be kinder to myself and continue to root in fruitful relationships.
I will leave you with this: perhaps the world needed something to force us to slow down so that it could make space for what matters: the health of our earth, bodies, relationships, and communities. Perhaps we were asked to slow down so that we may learn to love ourselves and each other better, encouraging us to show up for each other in meaningful and effective ways as we all experience this pandemic differently.
Thank you kindly for taking the time to read these posts.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Note: Restorations recognizes the importance of financially compensating survivors for their time, energy, and expertise and, as such, we financially compensate all survivors who contribute written pieces for the blog. We strongly believe in the necessity of financial compensation for this work, and we urge other organizations who request survivors to speak, write, or consult for their organization to do likewise for the following reasons:
to demonstrate a commitment to honour and respect survivors’ time, energy, and expertise;
to demonstrate an appreciation for the emotional, mental, and physical energy necessary to share their experiences with us in order to benefit others;
and to demonstrate a commitment to developing the economic independence of survivors.
