You are NOT alone! 9.17.20

photo courtesy San Diego Zoo

Dear Students,

If you're the hugging type, our (distanced) arms are open. If you're more of a hand squeezer, we offer a virtual open hand. Maybe this whole no-touching thing is more your vibe, in which case we meet your eyes with our own, in solidarity and full of compassion.

This is a terrible moment. The forces of racial injustice, police brutality, our troubled criminal justice system, and all the distress of our political moment have reached directly into our community and touched our own. Hurt our own. Sometimes life in college is referred to as 'a bubble.' But between increased stress around possible Covid cases and Kat Patterson's arrest, no one at F&M feels themselves to be existing in a safe bubble, apart from the 'real' world. The real world is here, all around us, and it is suffering. 

In moments like these, it is important to remember you are not alone. It is important to remind the people you care about that they are not alone, either. Offer support; accept support. Talk to each other. Talk to us. Talk to your family, your friends, your mentors and siblings and coaches and professors. Take breaks! Offer yourself and others the compassion and kindness we all need right now.

And remember that however you are feeling right now is an okay way to feel. Every emotional response to this situation is valid, whether it be anxiety, sadness, an urgency to act, anger, or even a sense of numb detachment. There is no wrong way to feel. 

But negative emotions can be heavy to carry. Call the Counseling Service at 717-544-9051 so we can lighten the burden, and help carry them with you.

In solidarity,

Lauren, Susan, Katharina, Meagan, Alexis, Kelly and Gene