Well-Being

Rachel Balick

Maintaining an upbeat attitude during the pandemic has been challenging for health care providers and patients alike. Gratefulness can require a focus on helping others, a shift in perspective, or an acceptance of uncertainty while cherishing the ones we love. Here are the stories of three pharmacists who fought to stay grateful during tumultuous times.

Serving others

“Normally in July, and again in December, my family hosts a snack-bag filling event through the organization Snacks in Sacks. The July event is held in memory of our daughter Riley and our niece Claudia, who died in July 2008.

The snack bags that we prepare are distributed to individuals experiencing homelessness in the Louisville, KY, area. Of course, we weren’t able to host a large event this July because of the pandemic. Still, my family wanted to do something to help the community. We created and shared on social media an Amazon wish list with snack items that we needed and collected them in our garage.

Every night during the week of July 25, we hosted small outdoor gatherings of close friends and family who helped us make the snack bags. Different friends and family helped us each evening, and we all wore masks, stayed outdoors, and maintained the appropriate 6-foot distance between immediate family groups.

Thanks to the efforts of our friends and family, we were able to make 1,238 snack bags, each containing 8 to 10 items. We were very grateful to the larger community that provided us with enough snack food to make so many bags, and to our friends and family for helping us make bags in our driveway for a week. It was truly a group effort, and we were fortunate enough to be able to continue to serve the community, even during the pandemic.

We are now exploring what we’d like to do in December, when we host a snack bag event to honor our late daughter’s birthday.”

—Sarah Lawrence, PharmD, independent educational consultant and owner of Sarah Lawrence Consulting, Louisville, KY

Beauty amid chaos

“During this COVID-19 pandemic, I went through a couple of major life changes that did not go as planned but turned out to be even more beautiful than I could have expected. My now-husband and I canceled our May 2020 wedding celebration and made the difficult decision to get married in a private ceremony. Then, we packed up our things, moved across the country, and both started new jobs in Austin, TX.

During the first few months of the pandemic, I struggled immensely with feeling out of control and thoughts of ‘this wasn’t how this year was supposed to go.’ However, reflection and perspective have allowed me to realize how privileged I am to have my health, a loving partner, a home in a thriving city, and an incredible new job. If I’ve learned anything in the past year, it is to acknowledge the disappointments, setbacks, and challenges, but to move forward and focus your vision on finding the beauty amid the chaos.”

—Morgan P. Stewart, PharmD, BCACP, clinical assistant professor at University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy

Balancing fear with gratitude

“In March 2020, the dangers of COVID-19 started looming, like a dark cloud over the globe. The chaos, the panic, the fear, the uncertainty, and many more negative emotions gripped every human, from children to adults. Eyes watched graphs, curves, and numbers. After a few months, we accepted that COVID-19 was here to stay, and the only wise option was to start prayers of positivity and gratitude.

Most families created quality moments and memories in quarantine days. In my family, we had to ride the waves of emotions—losing people close to us to the virus and celebrating the heroes who cared for the sick. It taught the yin and yang balance to emotions. Looking at the glass half-full became a necessity. I have reason to express gratitude—for the best family moments, the rising above adversity, the ability to lift others up.

I grieved when a high school friend lost her husband to COVID-19—he was in his early 40s. She suffered irreparable damage, but every day I see her rise like a warrior, embracing forgiveness, acceptance, and gratitude.”

—Bhavana Mutha, RPh, BCMAS, BCMTMS