Would you agree that the pandemic has triggered much strange behaviour ?
Mental health suffers during lockdowns; humans thrive and survive on social contact.
We heard the fire truck whiz past our house yesterday !
Some young people decided that they had had enough of isolating and social distancing.
They came to the beach behind our house, collected a pile of driftwood, and started a fire. A neighbour apparently saw the billowing smoke and called the volunteer fire department.
Firefighters extinguished the flames, and talked to the group of young folks about their risky behavior. Beach fires are prohibited in our community since a previous such fire that got out of control burned down a section of sea fencing two years ago.
With shed parties banned, schools closed, and tourists being told by the police that they cannot come here, our younger residents are becoming more restless and frustrated.
Often young people are less experienced than adults in identifying, tolerating and modifying their emotions. Moreover, adolescents are often reluctant to discuss unpleasant feelings with the adults in their lives. They need our prayers and our compassion.
May God give us the grace to understand that people react differently to stress, and may he increase our empathy and our tolerance for others.

It is so important to remember that not everyone handles stress, fear, isolation, loneliness, anxiety or any other emotion in the same way. We must give others room to feel what they feel & be there to help them when they are ready.
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Yes,I so agree with you. When they are ready to share, we must be ready to listen. And, as you wisely say, we must be available to help people . Timing in communication is very important. Thanks for your comment.๐ค
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Mental health is done…
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These are challenging times! We are all developing new levels of patience that we never thought we had…๐ค
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I have none…๐
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The situation is causing a lot of stigma to those my organization are supporting with food basket here in Kenya. I hope most of them come out of it mentally Stable God willing
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Yes, I am so in agreement with you. ๐ค
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First of all- you live close to beach? That is incredible ๐ For some reason, I am beginning to value that aspect of habitats now… Living in metro-cities was frustrating even before this started. Now, moreso…
It is not inexplicable. I wonder how babies and kids are dealing with so much home time. I don’t have children of my own ( not married ) but I overheard those in my colony the other day. To stay at home all day much be really difficult for them… Plus, there is the added evil- addition to electronic gadgets ๐ฆ
PS- I am a new reader, but I have to put this out here: what you write is so grounded, and sane. Happy that I came around to your webspace ๐
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Hi !
Thanks so much for your very kind comments. Yes, we really need to be aware of how stressful these times for all young people. And I agree about the electronic gadgets.
Yes, we live directly on the ocean, at the very edge of North America.
It is quiet here, and peaceful. Newfoundland is a former British Colony that now belongs to Canada.
Nice to hear from you.๐ค
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โก Goddess, “Gods” Wife, Suggests that Youth has Always Behaved this Counter Authority, Rebellious, Odd, “Strange” Way until Conditioned to ‘Conform or Else’; so I Would Suggest that now The ‘Grown Ups’ ARE Restricted from Doing ‘Important Stuff’ due to The Current “LockDown” They ARE Actually Paying Their Kids Attention and Remembering what it’s like to ‘Grow Up’ as an Ignored, Non-Existent Entity who Crys Out for ATTENTION!!! with “Strange Behaviour”
…โกโกโก…
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I do agree with you that the most important thing we can do for children is to listen to them, carefully, and give them the attention that they require and deserve. Parents who are too ‘busy’ to listen to their young children should not be surprised when they have difficulty communicating with their teenagers.
Yes, I agree, strange behaviour is sometimes a cry for attention.
Thanks for commenting. ๐ค
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I agree that it is really important to have a balance of E.Q. and I.Q.
I have found that some with high I.Q. need more E.Q. ๐
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Oh wait, I do remember as a preteen one of my best neighborhood friends just being stupid kids one hot dry summer he was playing with matches and setting some tall grass in a large field near our homes on fire. He wouldnโt let it burn much, just a bit then stomp it with his foot like a dare; but then he didnโt count on the sparks and embers floating around which ignited the whole area into a roaring inferno!!! OMG did his Protestant Mom wale on him while screaming at me to go home and I didnโt even see what his dad with the deep stern usually quiet voice did when he got home after work! That was scary now that I think of it, I was forbade to be with him by my dad and I even got some punishment for just being around my friend when he did that; guilt by association I figured! I was really sorry and sad!
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Hi Lawrence – Yes, it is the sparks and embers which can cause a whole lot of trouble. Thanks for commenting. ๐ค
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Hi Sally! Oh yes, forests and buildings are consumed by only a few sparks or embers and being kids we hadn’t had a clue about just how dangerous they can be! I still eventually chummed around a bit in the neighborhood with that childhood friend but he was one of the first I swung far and wide from drifting apart because of things seeming to lead to headaches too often being in his company! We must learn to pick our friends wisely and as children we eventually learn that, not all are cut from the same cloth! ๐ค
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Yes, for sure, we are always influenced by the company we keep.๐
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๐ค Hi Sally! My parents and grandparents same words of wisdom constantly growing up but sometimes being a bit foolish kid I would find out the hard way and thank God nothing tragic happened because many times some kids are seriously hurt or damaged in that way. Thank you as always my friend! ๐
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Hi Lawrence: ‘ wale on him ‘ is another adage…๐
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this is so important Sally. with 4 teens in the house they are going stir crazy and having a hard time with this whole thing……..
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Yes, Wendi, that is completely understandable. Teens are already perplexed at figuring out society, and then finding themselves so restricted. These are times when we, as parents ( or grandparents ) need particular patience and sensitivity to guide our young people.
If we can maintain healthy communication with them through the ‘teen ‘ years, then it is highly that we will have healthy relationships with our children for life.
Your children are fortunate to have the company of each other. ๐ค
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such beautiful words of wisdom Sally, thank you. Yes, they are blessed to have each other, although at this point, they don’t really realize it! ๐
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This is a very understanding post, Sally.
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I love your perspective expressed here, Sally. The heart of Jesus is evident in the compassion shining through your words!
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Hi Jennifer ! Thanks for your kind words. These are confusing days, and our Lord asks us to treat each other with tenderness. ๐ค
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Sally, you are so right about that! In heartfelt agreement, sister! โค
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Your observations about differences are so sound. I was well into my adulthood before I realised that not everyone thought as I did.
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Amen. This is so true, we all handle stress and change differently. And empathy is key in handling this. ๐ค
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Yes, may our Lord give us the gift of becoming more and more empathetic. Nice to hear from you.๐ค
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Amen. ๐๐
The same here ma’am. ๐
Do stay safe and my regards to the family. ๐ค
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