As my husband and I bundled up for our tree buying experience I mentioned, “You know there is a tree shortage this year.” But we remained hopeful we’d find the right tree, which admittedly has gotten smaller over the years, coinciding with how long it has been since our children were waking us up at 6 a.m. to see what Santa delivered. The lights still have a peaceful glow, yet this year they also shed light on the chaos in our global economy due to the pandemic, which is creating unrelenting issues for manufacturers and the shipping industry. Labor shortages exacerbated by immigration constraints create widespread disruption. The supply chain has major kinks drastically reducing inventory. There is a reduced availability of trees, turkeys, automobile computer chips, chocolate chips, medical devises, construction materials, newsprint, grape nuts cereal, and the list goes on affecting all areas of our lives.
The rise in issues related to mental health brought on by the pandemic has been widely documented as the world struggles with increased anxiety, sadness, anger and hopelessness all complicated by increased physical symptoms and a shortage of psychological and medical services. As with the Depression in the 1930s, where depression among individuals coincided, so too are we dealing with the emotional challenges of widespread shortage as we grapple with “not enough” when it comes to commodity and services.
What is worthy of focus is not only our reactions to not having the material goods at our fingertips, but actually the emotional associations we have tied to these commodities that can create internal turmoil.
For example, construction materials create our infrastructure — our homes, our community, our transportation. These all serve to provide both concrete and emotional stability grounding us and connecting us to one another. No matter our cultural differences and leanings toward trees and turkeys, for many they provide the beauty and comfort of tradition. Automobiles and bicycles allow for freedom of movement. Medical devices are crucial for physical health. Chocolate chips and Grape Nuts provide the comfort of the familiar. Newsprint for many educates us about our ever-changing world near and far. When we experience scarcity in these areas, the earth shakes, our foundation becomes less certain. Our anxiety increases as we are confronted by a powerlessness and unpredictability. It is easy to repeat the words, “the only constant is change,” however the adage often provides little comfort.
The question becomes how to manage and cope with the emotional fallout due to the shortage on shelves for the foreseeable future. It is important to recognize there is a difference between shortage and absence. Shortage is a luxury versus absence which can be life-threatening. Poverty of food and shelter is one of survival. Shortage on the other hand raises concern for our mental health, which at its extreme can be life-threatening. But more frequently it remains a challenge to our emotional well-being.
Often we are encouraged to look for that which we are grateful for in the face of adversity. But recently during a session with a young woman experiencing a difficult loss and break-up, I promised I would not ask her to make a gratitude list. Her response was loud and clear, “Thank God!” At times gratitude referencing people and aspects of our lives may be very helpful. But often our list needs to take on a different focus. It becomes appreciation and gratitude for being in touch with the truth of what is. Honest expression and acceptance of our grief with self-compassion in the face of scarcity is not always easy. Yet that form of presence and access to our truth is something to be grateful for. It is that alignment versus avoidance, which creates a path of healing through self-expression. And with that there is the hope of hearing the song of peace and joy this time of year. Playing the song of grief allows us to also hear that melody of joy. Our resilience and healing individually and collectively depends on our willingness to accept our vulnerabilities and that of others with compassion. Humanity is independent of the supply chain. And our humanity remains abundant.
Priscilla Dann-Courtney may be reached through her website: priscilladanncourtney.com
