TIME features a pandemic-specific advice column called COVID Questions. Yesterday, my colleague Jamie Ducharme tackled a question that resonated with me: My Family Is Still Being Careful About COVID-19. Why Does It Feel like We're the Only Ones? The questioner details circumstances specific to parenting a 2-year-old who might be at increased risk. But the emotion expressed is universal: "Are we making the right choices? Are we alone?"
My extended family and community are taking COVID seriously, so I can largely avoid feeling friction between my risk aversion and other people's more-relaxed approach. But seeing carefree, business-as-usual photos on social media ignites a messy mix of emotions in me, namely judgment and jealousy.
I emailed Jamie about it. "I immediately connected with this reader's question," she told me. "Though I don't have children of my own and can't imagine what it's like to parent a toddler during the pandemic—especially a toddler born prematurely—I deeply related to the feeling of being the only one who still cares about the virus. That's not true, of course, but it's easy to convince yourself it is when your Instagram feed is suddenly full of people traveling, eating in restaurants, and throwing parties. Tracking down advice for this reader was actually therapeutic for me, as well!"
I'll leave it to Jamie and the experts she interviewed to share strategies for coping with these emotions. But please tell me: Have you felt friction with others about the precautions you are or are not taking? If you've found a way to deal with it, I'd love to hear that, too. You can always find me at andrea@time.com. And if you have COVID questions, send them to covidquestions@time.com.
Best, Andrea
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