mother’s first email (ever!) truly showed me how great our capacity is to adapt. Is this what is meant by resilience? Resilience, in effect, speaks to the need to adapt in the face of change. Even when your head or hands or feet are cut off. Thankfully, this isn’t our case. We are just being challenged to look inward and find the strength to respond to change. Like this virus, there are many aspects of life we cannot control and don’t know for sure right now. But wasn’t it Malcolm Gladwell who said that if we didn’t suppress thoughts of worst-case scenarios, we’d never leave the house? What I’ve learned from my colleagues and my own experience working from home, is that, as the days take on their own rhythm, there are aspects of our environment that we can and must control. Even our mental states – we need only reach out to get support if we need it. Of course, some days are better than others. Like my mom, we adapt, and we learn new things or new and better ways of doing things. Despite my best efforts to cut down on caffeine and social media, two things that really suffocated me in the early days of the pandemic, I find it overwhelming to think beyond the present situation. When I begin to think of all the catching up I have to do – not only me but all of us – I remind myself to be mindful and to take one day at a time. Lynne Abrahams-Kanaan grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and went on to study English literature and law at the University of Cape Town. She is currently working towards an MA in creative writing.
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