I was harsh. I yelled.

There was arguing across my street. Cursing. Standoffishness.

Abuse is up.

I heard, “My entire life has been upended.”

One of the hardest things for humans is change. Forced change is the hardest.

The world is upended. Forever changed—still spinning. Where it will stop, nobody knows.

A hundred experts espouse a hundred perspectives. A hundred critics spew a thousand criticisms. Relentless uncertainty. Blathering on. Stress.

Rage, rebellion, indignancy—all manner of base behaviors boil up when people are stressed crazy.

Unless your conflict is crystal clear, e.g. it was present before the pandemic, I recommend you assume your behavior—and the behavior of those around you—is linked to viral craziness?

Not literal craziness, but the crazies that come from too much stimulation. Stimulation like Chinese water torture: drip, drip, drip… right between your eyes.

You can’t stop the upending, but you and yours can call it what it is and proactively forge respite, ready and understanding forgiveness, and structured solace for your souls.

Before you start your day, and periodically as needed, devote focused time to prayer, health, love, reassurance, and then a reasoned assessment of next steps. Hold hands—a lot. Hug—a lot. Sit close—a lot.

For the majority of virus crazies, it is pointless to analyze them. Simply start over. Take a breath. See the paragraph above this one. If a humble apology is appropriate, humbly do it. Then, humbly start again.

The life of grace, lived by gracious souls, in raucous times, makes starting over readily available. Extend grace—and don’t forget to include yourself.