Staying Connected During a Crisis

As a touring musician, a mom of three sons (whom I took on the road for 15 years), and frankly as someone who was raised in a country where there were no public bathrooms, I can tell you with certainty that humans can survive without toilet paper. (Ok, I agree that if we do get quarantined for a few weeks, it’s much nicer to have toilet paper, but maybe we can all share if things get really bad?)

Now that that’s out of the way, let me just say that these past few weeks have been pretty… sucky.

First, I was not feeling good, then a tornado hit Nashville, and now we have a coronavirus pandemic.

I want to tell my kids that it can’t get any worse, but way back when they were little I learned not to make promises about things I have no control over…

We were at a wellness check up. One of my sons really didn’t like getting shots and he asked me if he would get any. I did my research, looked at his records and vaccination recommendations and decided that he wasn’t due for any. “Promise me?” He asked. “Absolutely!” I said. He trusted me and walked into the doctor’s office with a confident smile and his heart at ease.

You can imagine how broken-hearted we both were when the nurse walked in with a syringe.

I also learned not to promise there would be no thunder and lightning when they were scared of the storm or that we’d have sunshine on our beach vacation. Even when I wanted so badly for them to be comforted, I learned not to make promises I couldn’t keep about things that were out of my control.

And the same kid whom I promised wouldn’t get a shot, just had his senior band trip to Disney cancelled. It’s not like he can do this again some other time. After all the hard stuff that we all went through, this was something awesome to look forward to. When we found out about the cancellation, he looked just as sad and disappointed as that ten year old boy at the doctor’s office. I hugged him tight and said: “I’m sorry. I wish I could do something. But stuff happens. There is nothing we can do about it.”

You see, what I can do is to promise them I will be there to hold their hand and that I will comfort them and hug them close, until all the bad things in the world pass. I can promise them that, together, we will find something fun to do if it rained for a whole week and that we will just love being together.

My kids know that I am the world’s biggest optimist. I try to imagine the best possible scenarios, find something good in the worst of situations, and look for the tiniest light in the darkest moments. I have to be. I have to keep my mind on the positive, otherwise I would sink deep into depression, anxiety and panic attacks (I still remember those years when this required a huge effort, and how often I would just give up).

I find that keeping a positive outlook is a superpower, and gratitude a magic wand that can get me out of a near-panic state and bring me a sense of peace and comfort.

Gratitude can ground us in this deep knowing that, no matter what, everything will be ok. It can shift our perspective from the bad things that are happening and remind us that we are all ultimately supported by an abundant and all-giving source of love and life.

But the real place where our everyday life happens is somewhere between the harsh reality and the faith and hope we hold. It’s somewhere between our vision of paradise and the place at our kitchen table where we have to deal with a threat of a bad disease, a tornado, cancelled trips and gigs (which means income), and a lack of toilet paper. The everyday is somewhere between Love and Fear (of lack, loss, grief, pain).

The only thing we can control is where we stand between the two.

Which one we choose over and over again. Which one we allow into our lives and ask to guide us.

All of my life, I’ve been passionate about creating experiences that help people like you heal deeper, love more and make our world a better place by helping and uplifting others. I have no answers and I will never make any promises. But I am committed to, alongside you, explore how we can choose Love over fear no matter what.

Here is one thing I want to tell you: I fully support the decision to use extreme caution, to cancel events and to close down theme parks in order to slow down the spread of the disease. I also believe that we all have to preserve a sense of normalcy and not give into the panic and fear. During the war in former Yugoslavia, it was super important to keep living – to come together as a community, to sing together, pray together, attend concerts and theater plays that fed our soul.

Keeping the spirits up is as crucial for health as nutritious food and avoiding getting infected.

And although we need to do some social distancing at the moment, we can all use technology to stay connected.

Here are a few videos for some inspiration! Click below to watch.

You can do this in your own living room! Dancing and singing release endorphins – the hormones that boost our immune systems.

Have a good one! And go outside – the trees and flowers are uninfected, ready to bloom and remind you that all is well…

Tatiana “Tajci” Cameron is an award-winning music artist, published author, inspirational speaker, and certified transformational and spiritual life coach.

She has many passions and is dedicated to helping others while also creating an enriched life for herself and her three sons. When Tajci is not on the road performing gigs, she volunteers with local organizations dear to her heart, spends time with loved ones (often involving music!), and collaborates with other artists to bring creative projects to life.

Tajci’s most recent projects include a meditation CD, an annual retreat & sea cruise in Croatia (that she organizes and hosts), and a multimedia CD/book (Un)Broken: Songs My Father Taught Me.

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