Hello, lovely Soul Drop! How are you? I wouldn't blame you if you feel confused, scared, or like this is truly the end of the world. It certainly feels like it sometimes! However, exactly a year ago I (along with my entire country) experienced what we thought was the end of our world: 5 entire days without power or water.
Venezuela has lived several moments in which the whole population panics, including protests that ended up with our students being killed or taken to jail and tortured there. The shortages became our norm, slowly we adapted to this way of life. Celebrating each time the water arrived so we could do the laundry, sighing and cursing whenever the power went out for hours, and even going with the entire family to the market so one could do the incredibly long ques while the other searched for the products that were likely not found.
What NO ONE saw coming was what happened in May of 2019, the power went out as usual...but this time? It went out in the ENTIRE country and didn't come back on (not even for 5 minutes) until 5 entire days later. Venezuela was engulfed in darkness, so were our hearts. We panicked! We thought maybe the power would never return! People died in the hospitals, the food rot inside the fridges, the phone reception died in most places...it was chaos. I had to flee my country for 4 months in which the power came and went as it pleased, literally DARK times hit our lives back then.
Nevertheless, I learned very valuable lessons from all of that chaotic experience! In those days of darkness I found out how to create light !
1. Be creative!: As you could imagine without power you can't watch TV or stay online which is what we usually do, turns out, that was great! I began playing charades, board-games, planning competitions with my family, and more! I had more fun that I had in ages! I never knew I could be so creative! I started to challenge myself to write, to draw, to play piano, and more. Give your usual activities a little twist! Instead of playing with your fingers, try playing a song with your elbows! Instead of reading normally, read backwards! This will aid you to focus your mind on something else rather than panic and it will help you become more creative!
2. Connect truly!: We tend to rush from one place to the other completely forgetting to connect with our loved ones and with ourselves, but when you're forced to stop we get the amazing opportunity to do so! Don't run away from it! Embrace this chance! How are your relationships doing? Do you need to work something out with someone? How are you doing? Take some time to yourself, meditate, do something you enjoy! Talk with your loved ones, take your time to listen to them carefully. I thought I knew my mother until we ended up those 5 days trapped without power and with each other, I found out so many precious things about her! I even got to know myself better!
3. Create your own light! : I know you must be anxious, stressed, scared...take a deep breath, it's alright. When you face dark times, you must create your own light. Everyone is good at something, maybe you've always told good jokes (or bad jokes that are so bad that make you laugh), or maybe you are amazing at creating fictional characters...whatever it is, use it! Turn your abilities, your virtues, and your values into a light you can share with everyone! Spread kindness, spread positivity, spread the best of you! Become a light when everything else is darkness, you'll be alright.
Here we are after that awful time, we made it! You can do it too, from every crisis a new opportunity to grow is born! You are more capable than you think. I hope this helped you somehow, if it did, share it with someone who might need it as well! In times of crisis, we must be kind and compassionate, even with yourself! So cry if you need it, scream, vent, feel bad, but then? Stand up once more! We are with you. Remember you are like a flame, you might waver, but you won't burn out.
With much love,
Bel.