How Many Families Will COVID-19 Bring Together?

Some family members are reconnecting during this unprecedented time of crisis.

COVID-19 has managed to take a long-standing belief in our society and make it the opposite of what was true. 

Humans once took it for granted that nothing brings a family together quicker than a marriage, a funeral, or a new birth.  Even a family that's not necessarily close.

Whether that remained the case prior to the corona outbreak or not, it is definitely not the case now. 

In spite of the worldwide death count that is still continuing to grow, no families are gathering for funerals.

But how many families will COVID-19 actually bring together?

Families Coping with COVID-19

Families dealing with the loss of loved ones to COVID-19 have shared what the most difficult part was for them.

They say it was not being able to be with the loved one to say goodbye, or to hold a service and have all the family there.

Then, there are countless other families who are worried and anxious about their health and welfare. They're confused about what their new normal will look like.

Gone is the joy of looking forward to a big family dinner, not to mention a wedding or baby shower. 

COVID-19 has been keeping lots of people apart, even while the majority of us are having to stay at home together.

  

We hate this cursed virus that has stolen so many lives and made so many people sick. But at the same time, it is also responsible for helping families and loved ones to reconnect. 

 

Many Families Disconnected

I often wonder why many families are so disconnected, in a world where all we do is stay plugged in. It’s a damn shame, but for one reason or another, I hadn’t talked to some of my close family in years before the corona virus nightmare started.  

But oddly enough, all during this insane nightmare, I’ve not only spoken to several of those members, but we’ve continued to have some of the longest and most enjoyable conversations.

No doubt, many people out there can relate to that. There are countless families who experience the same kind of family distance, as my own family. Here are some of the reasons why.

 

Distance and Family Disconnects

It’s no secret that distance separates families. That applies to emotional distance as well as physical distance because of locality.

Distance is how disconnects first begin, just like this:

• Someone moves away, and everyone, both near and far, become preoccupied with a little thing called life.

• All it takes is for one miscommunication, minor infraction or simple misunderstanding, to make room for distance to set in.

• That distance can easily turn into estrangement (coupled with a little resentment)

Maybe if you all lived closer, and life didn’t keep you so busy, you could sort things out and work through any issue. But not with distance blocking the way.

When your former communications gradually cease, it may even affect some of the offshoot branches of that particular part of the family tree.


The next thing you know,

• The branches are all growing in different directions, and soon busy with their own little twigs that sprout along the way.

• The rest of the family tree continues growing, and undergoing incremental changes, everything from the roots, to the trunk. 

Eventually, you wind up with a disconnected family, without even realizing how.

Finances can be another reason that prevent staying connected, if family members live on opposite sides of the world. A poor economy may restrict or limit how often families connect.

It doesn't take long before out of sight is out of mind, whether we plan it that way or not.

 

Dysfunction Another Cause

Then of course, there are the families who end up emotionally distant, though they live in the same town, city, or even neighborhood. 

Believe it or not, this kind of dysfunction is not as rare as some people might think. In fact, if you think you have the only family in the world that is coo coo for Cocoa Puffs, think again!

Actually, it's the most natural thing in the world, to think that you’re the only one with a screwed up family, a screwed up past, or just plain screwed up yourself. The reality is:

WE’RE ALL SCREWED UP – SOME JUST MORE THAN OTHERS!

If by some miracle, or stroke of luck, this awful situation we’re having to live through, has brought you closer to your family, then accept that as a win. 

In conclusion, I'd like to recommend anyone reading this post, to reach out to someone they love; someone long lost, forgotten, or outright ignored in your family.

Do what you can to make a connection, and even if it doesn't work, at least you know you tried. If it does work, think how good you'll feel, having finally reconnected. 

Maybe they’ll even be motivated to reconnect with another family member, and so on, and so on, and so on… 

   

DEAR READERS:

Since the writing of this particular story, a lot has happened and I invite you to visit my Justiss Goode pen name and Medium profile and read some of my recent personal essays and miscellaneous life lessons that I know you will enjoy and benefit from.

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exploringyourmind.com