We are stuck at home with nothing to do. For many of us, this is week three of being politely told to stay in our homes, and the home we love is starting to feel more like a jail cell. But there are other people who are suffering, too. 

The ones who are suffering are the ones who aren’t forced to stay in their homes. Not everyone’s jobs were shut down, especially those who own their own business. The small business owners who own small boutiques, bakeries, donut shops, hair salons, etc. They can’t afford to shut down. For many of them, the income that comes from their shops is the only income they have, but they are suffering because few people are out and frequenting their shops. 

Even more people are suffering because they can’t celebrate. Spring has sprung and for the southern states, it’s wedding time. Across the US, July, August and October are the most popular wedding months. However, in the south, the most popular months are April, May and June to avoid the sweltering heat of late summer. Unfortunately, because we are only allowed to gather in groups of 10 or less many couples are having to compromise what should be their day or postpone it altogether. 

Every little girl dreams of their wedding, some little girls that I babysit tell me about what their wedding will be like, and I can guarantee none of them dream of postponing it because of a pandemic. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, people are suffering because they can’t grieve. The whole world didn’t go on pause when the COVID-19 hit, though sometimes it feels like it. Life is going on, and there’s no delicate way to put it, but people are still passing on from this life. Not only because of the virus but because that happens in life, devastating as it is. For the same reason that couples are postponing their weddings, families are not able to properly grieve those they’ve lost. Funerals are being postponed or live-streamed for those not with the 10 inside the funeral home. 

I lost both my grandparents within the last two years and as painful as their funerals were, I can’t imagine not being able to give that last good-bye. 

For those staying home, their suffering may not be anything more than loneliness. As mundane as that sounds, loneliness can actually be serious. Especially for those who are suffering from mental illnesses such as depression, loneliness can cause our emotions and mental health to go on a downward spiral mainly because there is no one there to encourage and comfort us. 

Everyone is suffering in their own way and each can be devastating. 

Though we may not be able to be with each other we can still encourage and comfort one another. Send a couple who postponed their wedding some cupcakes from a small business owner who is most likely not getting much business. Get some donuts for the first responders who still wake up every day and go to work when everyone is told to stay home. Show people you are thinking of them even if you can’t see them.