A Reflection on Quarantine and Emojis

Yesterday I woke up and realized that I had been socially distancing for four weeks. 
Four weeks...it seems like a lifetime has gone by. So much about our world has changed in such a short time. 

I was texting yesterday...something I do with much more frequency as it has become one of the few links to connect with friends and family. 
I like emojis. Those who know me, know I love to send emojis, bitmojis and GIFs with my text messages. I send very few without them. 
What struck me yesterday, aside from marking four weeks of social distancing, was the order of the emojis on my keyboard. The first few emojis that come up on my keyboard...the ones I use the most...are always the smiling face, thumbs up, heart, and LOL. I was taken aback to notice that the sad face had now taken over as my most-used emoji. 

The sad face.

My top-used Emojis on Friday morning, April 10

It says a lot about how I've been feeling and the conversations I have been having lately. It was a moment that caused me to reflect.
We are all experiencing the ups and downs of being isolated. Some days are better than others. We hope. We pray. I continually remind myself of all that I am grateful for throughout this pandemic; and  believe me that list is long. 

So why has the sad face taken over?

In this crazy, unpredictable world, this is one thing I can control. This is something I need to control. 
What I've learned through all of this is that we need to lean on each other more than ever. We need to check in on friends and family frequently to lift each other up on the challenging days. Everyone is dealing in their own way and everyone has their own challenges to face. 
So, send text messages (with happy emojis), call, Factime, Zoom, write letters and cards. Let others know you are thinking about them and make the little things count. 

We're all in this together and together we will get through it. 

Sunday, April 12...Getting Better!