Nicole Kropf

What a time this is – a time of stress and anxiety and unkown but also a time of slowing down and perseverance and strength. In the midst of chaos I want to talk to you all about showing up. My basic policy for all of my relationships is to show up for my people. The main way I do this is through presence – by physically showing up in their lives, by giving them my undivided attention, by asking questions and learning about the people I love, by encouraging them, supporting them, and cheering them on, and through touch. Friends, I am the very definition of a touchy feely person. I give hugs like they are the breath that fills our lungs.

I am also an enneagram #2 – a helper for those of you who haven’t yet become familiar with the enneagram. I find life in helping and I struggle to be the one who requires help. So believe me when I say I understand just how difficult isolation can be. I understand how insanely challenging it is to feel helpless rather than helpful.

We are currently under quarantine for travel – and before you get too worked up, just know we left the country at a time when the “experts” were saying to wash your hands and stay home if sick but otherwise – carry on as normal. We have been quarantined in our home and yard since returning from the airport. I am privileged to share my quarantine with my husband and children. I know what a gift it is to not be completely alone. And I think about and pray for my friends and family who are isolated alone every day.

All of this is to say, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how we can show up for one another when physical proximity is not an option. First, I know the majority of us are already doing this but its worth stating – use the resources at your disposal. In a situation like this, technology is a gift. We may not be able to speak life into each other in person, but by golly, we can send each other texts, make phone calls, and better still – video chat! I can remember watching the Jetsons as a child – they would make phone calls where an image of whomever they were speaking to would appear, and I remember thinking how impossible that seemed. Friends, we are living in the world of the Jetsons, we can literally see the people we love without standing in front of them. We can hear their voices AND see their expressions. It is literally the next best thing to being close enough to touch them. These tools allow us to remain connected in a time of isolation and this connectedness is without a doubt necessary for survival.

During our quarantine, we have had people show up for us by bringing us meals and treats, doing drive-by hellos, picking up packages, and dropping off groceries (and of course toilet paper)! My husband’s friend even dropped off a set of weights for us to use – and those of you who know us well will know this was a NECESSITY for Travis! And while it has been so hard to be the ones requiring help, our people stepped up and loved us well by showing up in essential ways for our family. If we are all still healthy once our quarantine period ends, we will certainly aim to show up in these same ways for others who may be in need.

We can show up for one another by spreading positivity. There have been so many days when going on social media immediately set my nerves on fire. I felt overwhelmed with a barrage of information – not all of it factual – and it messed with my mind. While it is crucial that we all know what is going on, it’s even more important that we care for one another by spreading positivity and hope. There are groups on social media whose sole intention is to spread happiness – they are doing this by posting happy faces and other images in the windows of their homes and writing encouraging words in chalk. Sometimes simple things can bring so much light into a dark day. We’ve joined this cause and have posted our artwork in the windows of our home. Our inukshuk out front now wheres a great big smiley face and we hope that these tiny things will brighten the days of those who walk or drive by.

Friends, we also need to be grateful. We are so fortunate that the greatest trial of our generation thus far has been to simply stay home. I am generalizing here as I do know that home is not a safe place for everyone – so I am referring to those of us for whom it is. Thank you to all essential workers (and there are a lot of you)! I know that you are showing up to work even when you are afraid so that the rest of us have all that we need. Additionally, we need to lift up the frontline workers – our doctors, nurses, EMS, police, firefighters and all those whose job it is to keep the rest of us safe and alive. Thank you to those of you who are fighting this disease in an entirely different capacity. You’ve been called into war – sometimes without adequate armour – and you are showing up for everyone at great risk to yourselves and to those you love. Friends, I see you. My heart aches for you and I am so grateful for you. We would genuinely love to support you in a practical way – so if you are reading this and you know of something we can do in addition to gratitude and prayer, please do comment or shoot me an email.

Finally, and probably most importantly, we can show up for one another by not showing up at all. I never would’ve imagined a time when the best way to love those around me would be to stay away from them. But loves, this is exactly what the world requires of us now. We have to love one another enough to stop the spread of this virus and we stop the spread of this virus by staying home as much as possible. This is a time unlike any before and the only way we will survive it is by working together – apart.