Sympathy & Covid-19

I have lived a very fortunate life and have only ever really heard of tragedies or witnessed terrible events taking place in the news and through social media. I am sympathetic to the suffering and difficult situations others face but it was hard for me to relate to this and put myself in their shoes. Sometimes my sympathy feels limited because I haven’t experienced these challenges. During Covid, people all around me, people I knew and loved, were suffering and in pain. I know people who became really sick with Covid and others who died from Covid. I have watched as my loved ones struggled mentally and financially because of Covid. I began to experience deeper sympathy for what others because now it was so close to home and I could relate on a deeper level. Even though I’m feeling more sympathetic it can be a challenge for me to express that sympathy. When my sister was hurting and talking about the struggles she was facing because of Covid, I felt I could only answer with generic responses of “I’m here for you” and “it will get better”. I responded with these, not because I wasn’t sympathetic, but because right now I feel as if I don’t have any answers and I felt as if it was hard to convey sympathy. Although I could see and feel her pain, I felt I didn’t know what to say to really help her.

I believe that our struggles and our pain allow us to be more sympathetic towards others. It allows us to feel a deeper compassion and connection towards others who are suffering. Until a person faces their own struggles and suffering, sympathy may be limited. Living through Covid is challenging and hard for everyone. The world does feel heavy and dark right now, but I believe that there will be some good to come out of this. The pandemic is an experience that we have all shared together that everyone can relate to. As dark as it is, there is still good. When I’m driving and see a “thank you essential workers sign” or I know people who are supporting small businesses that need more help, I feel as if it bonds everyone and makes for stronger relationships. Maybe Covid has somehow made the world a little more kinder and allowed people to have deeper sympathy for others. At least, I know that is what it has done for me. My experience with the Covid pandemic is like the metamorphosis of a caterpillars changing into a butterfly. I was different in the beginning but something changed inside me.