I believe COVID should be treated as a learning/ psychological disability. It should be classified in the DSM. It will eclipse any disorder. It will be the largest disability in the world.  Take that anxiety! Or is this a sub category of anxiety? Hmmm…I will leave that to the professionals to figure out.

But let’s just all agree, we are fragile right now and we need each other more than ever.

And just like most disabilities it’s a spectrum. From Autism to learning disorders like dyslexia there is a spectrum and COVID is no different.

I have yet to meet one person with the same COVID goggles on. Everyone creating their own new realities with their own made up rules.  And the same rule can feel arbitrary and ridiculous to one person, while deadly to another.

I have friends who have not left their houses to this day. I have friends getting their nails done snacking at the same time, masks down, face out in all of its glory. There are friends ready to launch their kids back into physical school while others recoil at the thought and can’t fathom how others can. 

But I beg that like with a learning disorder we don’t judge. We respect the spectrum even the ones that make us angry and we think are causing the problem, because communication really matters and people lie if they feel they will be judged.  And that is deadly. Lack of trust is deadly. It will kill lives and it will kill community, the thing we need most.

So I think we need a code. I’ve been researching rubrics. Here is one I would like to share to help others navigate these waters with their friends and family members. Please share if you have a better one! I’m looking for resources to help families who are forming pods navigate these tough conversations.