I Long To Belong

A project by PassionArt & Micah Purnell with The Centre for Theology & Justice.

Anonymously write one sentence of your experience of ‘Belonging during isolation’

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When you’re with people who let you be yourself and be for real – you’ll be long in that place…

Totally isolated as a shielder now let lose on the world in an area with a local lockdown yet I long to belong again !

I speak to my neighbours for half an hour after the clap

“Having a chat” is much more of an intentional action now,. I miss being spontaneous

My church have really created a place I can belong despite the restrictions and the distance

finding my cirlcle of influence

I’m taking longer on the toilet

People say lockdown must be ideal for introverts but being in the house with another adult and two small children means there is simply no chance of quality time with myself

I long to see a new way of living after Covid-19.

Feeling a little guilty that I’m enjoying the separation and having my family to myself.

I want a hug now. I’m learning to love by waiting.

Dreaming of the party we’ll have at the end of this.

I am hopeful we will all emerge from this with greater love and kindness for our neighbor and those in different from us

I’ve had richer and deeper conversations as a result of isolation

Praying and sewing scrubs For the Love of Scrubs 💕

I’m trapped with my shadow and learning to listen to its hard truths.

I keep in contact with those who I care about, even more now

Forced isolation made me realise I already felt alone.

I’m an introvert and this is my heaven

I wish I was part of a family

Isolation has forced me to be more present with those directly around me

I know my Redeemer lives

believe

Grief in lockdown is terrifying, harrowing, debilitating and strengthening. It is the yin and the yang, the positive and the negative, the light and the dark! It is acceptance and pain it brings purpose but most of all brings full circle just as in the Alchemist… it is belonging right where you are; here and now!

Forced to connect completely with my personal present, but cast adrift and reaching out to hold onto others in time.

What you think is happening isnt what’s happening.

The future is all around us, waiting in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation.

I’m seeking God

Life has slowed down and our relationships

I have entered a cross road with life and business. Usually I would take to the outdoors to think things through but I’m stuck in these 4 walls and my own head.

I would like someone to love me

be still

What is normal for me has become the new normal for many.

I’m an introvert in lockdown with 3 extroverts. I long to get out into the quiet.

I just want to be able to hug my family, especially my parents who have been through so much lately

It’s hard to find balance between family, work and personal commitments

I miss the company of so many family and friends

I’m an extrovert living in an introvert’s world

Finally, the world has slowed down to a pace that I can manage.

I am surrounded by a loving lively family l, yet I feel completely overwhelmed.

I notice on my daily dog walk that people are taking care to acknowledge each other in a gesture of solidarity that I never saw before

I don’t miss the old normal. It was the anti-belonging.

No day feels the same and if I seek it, I am blessed, enriched and inspired

The world has been reduced to the size of a household and a household has expanded in solidarity to the size of the world.

The world has simultaneously stopped spinning and is spinning twice as fast.

No need for makeup or hair brushes or calendars.

I feel we have been gifted this lockdown time to reconnect with what IS IMPORTANT – LOVE, GRATITUDE & RESPECT.

Being an introvert, and living alone, there’s little change, I still belong, the only problem is losing track with Sainsburys

Sometimes I feel myself drowning in my loneliness

As a ‘Third Culture Kid’ my sense of belonging is to very mobile things like people and music so I’m quite plastic because the things that reinforce my identity are changeable by nature.

I spent years hiding from myself and everyone else. Today, it is always slightly surprising when I feel like a human amongst humans and am able to connect with my fellow human beings in ways that matter.

It has exacerbated the feeling that I don’t belong anywhere, I will always be alone.

I feel isolated but only partially because some friends are keeping close via internet and my dear brother by phone

Having had a fire this week I am really appreciating our fire service and emergency workers helping me out whilst shielding me from covid-19

I spend a lot of time alone anyway so I didn’t think I’d be affected, but I feel like I’m slowly going mad and realizing I need to finally find community.

It all feels a little like grief. Maybe because of a sense of loss of ‘normal’ connection to others

On the other hand, I feel a deeper connection to nature & the earth

I swing between deep and true moments of presence and total (internal) chaos.

Lack of focus. So distracted.

I attempt to share my honest and ordinary madness

I call my family and friends during my spare time

I am knitting and sewing for charity projects as a way to feel less helpless

We know the world outside is in lockdown, inside these hospital walls we head strong into uncertainty, yet we see and sense the fear in each other’s eyes. Within my team I feel a greater sense of solidarity, I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I stay at work for you

My train of thought is totally shot. I forget what I’m doing all day everyday.

I share my stuff online to encourage people

I have separation anxiety

I’ve not stopped Scrolling Facebook

Grateful for all the good times

All responses below refer to belonging Pre Covid-19

I silently bless strangers as I pass by

I teach

I hold open doors, smile, say thank you, welcome people, I am warm and friendly

I smile at people

I buy gucci

I dress for others

I welcome

I belong because I long to

I’m always giving the benefit of the doubt

I get involved in many things

I talk to my neighbours

I garden, I plant seeds & bulbs and watch them grow & create beautiful spaces

I relate to people and face the human brokenness

I’m friendly and welcoming

I try to make people laugh

I hate conflict, often trying too hard to keep the peace

I care for nature

I love my husband

I serve God through church

I try to act down

I try to please others

I scroll through social media for hours

I look at lonely people and try and include them. Maybe they feel the same as I do

I try to lose the extra weight, thinking it will help my mental state

I look at other people around me and hope to learn from their best traits

I make eye contact with as many strangers as possible

I compromise

I sneak out late at night for cups of tea with fellow night-owls

I pray

I participate in art projects

I tidy my room

I go on Facebook

I pray with other Christians

I hide my true feelings

I believe there is hope for all

I teach

I am a priest

I work hard

go out

I drive myself half crazy looking for a Christian community to join

I seek the Truth and want to live

I turn up

I have held onto the faith story I grew up in

I’ve joined a choir

Family is so important to me

I want to be a part of a community that accepts me as I am

I want to be known and understood

I need affection

drink too much

trespassing discrimination

I live here and now, and I care

I wait until the perfect time

I cry

Try and find the positives to keep people upbeat

I hide behind an acceptable facade

I overthink

I swallow my own feelings

I always say yes

I try too hard

I keep trying to go to church even when they let me down

I will stay to the bitter end

I can be someone else

I don’t speak up

I try not to stand out

I avoid conflict

I blog my creative endeavours and respond to things like this

We practice collective rituals

I don’t disagree with people

I listen to others

I order a takeaway dinner

I shave daily

I eat more quavers

I open my heart

I pretend to care

I rebel

I comply

I go round and round in circles

I teach

I have a family

I eat chocolate

I feel lost and alone

I had 4 children

I play sport

I try to help others

I travel far

I love people as they are

I try to fit in

I buy new shoes

I compete

I skate

I pretend to like people

I do things I don’t want to

I try new things

I watch football

I spend

I cry