My word: Balancing may be our most important lesson

We are still waiting.

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Yet we don’t exactly know what we’re waiting for.

But it is OK because we know we have to stay put and wait.

We know how to wait patiently. We were taught since birth – whenever we had to wait for a warm hand to pick us up when we cried. Whenever we watched an adult prepare the food for us so we could eat. Whenever an adult said, “here let me help you unwrap it” and we hopped on our toes or shifted our feet in excitement as we watched them unwrap a sweet.

As I was saying, patience isn’t foreign to us. What is strange and perhaps awkward is having to live our normal lives as we wait.

We must work.

We must eat.

We must try to sleep.

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But also, we must wait.

But how do you balance staying calm and springing into action? How do you balance your emotions when the silence is broken by a sneeze or cough? How do you balance knowledge and ignorance when it comes to identifying symptoms? How do you balance sharing information and spreading panic? How do you balance hoarding and stocking up? How do you balance giving and leaving enough for yourself? How do you balance fear and staying strong for those who need you? How do you balance loneliness and making the most of time spent alone?

Christine Koech, Editor, Eve

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Evewoman.co.ke