Uncertain times and certainty Joanne Hipplewith


John and I felt it necessary to comment on


the situation the world now fi nds itself in – a world of unsafe uncertainty (Mason, 1993). In therapy, we are familiar with Mason’s quadrant and use it to try and move families, trainees and teams into a position of a least- unsafe certainty. T e world has changed in the blink of an eye. We are grappling with what this means in the short, medium and longer-term. We fi nd ourselves in an unusual position of global despair, worry, anxiety and concern. Our special issue, ‘Joining and conjoining’


is timely but not in a way we would have ever imagined. T e publication focuses on joining across the life cycle in diff erent ways. Still, since we are now living in a world where Covid-19 has invaded and interrupted our lives, we would like to draw our readers to the poignant aspect of joining and separating. In recent weeks, I am reminded of the


scene in the fi lm, Harry Pot er and the Deathly Hallows part 1. T e scene where Ron explains the reason why he keeps listening to the radio: Ron: “You don’t know why I listen to the radio, do you? To make sure I don’t hear Ginny’s name. Or Fred, or George, or Mum.” Harry: “You think I’m not listening too? You think I don’t know how this feels?” Ron: “No, you *don’t* know how it feels! Your parents are dead! You have no family!” Hermione: “Stop!” (Quotes net, 2020) It reminds me of turning on the news each


morning to hear how the death toll from Covid-19 has risen overnight. It connects me with a general sense of terror as it feels the disease is get ing ever closer. T e similarities between fantasy and fi ction seem too close for comfort. Yes, the world has changed, and it is going to take some time to get used to it. Technology has come on in leaps and


bounds and aff ords us all the opportunity to stay connected with the world and each other, despite the current social distancing measures in place. It connects those close by and those living abroad; however, not being able to have the close contact, we desire it all the more. Joining and separation have new meaning. I have adjusted to the long queues outside


of shops. I appreciate the societal measures in place for NHS workers; all workers who


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continue to work as usual – the new normal. I feel protected in my home, and we are fortunate to have a garden, a private space to escape. Yet, I worry for others who are living in


cramped conditions, overcrowded homes with limited access to outside space where the lockdown measure is aff ecting them more acutely. T erapeutic work has had to stop because families have no space to engage in therapeutic treatment, and now fi nancial hardship might be aff ecting them more severely. Poverty in communities will likely mean the lockdown has halted opportunities for change and foregrounded diffi culties. How do and can we continue to off er services and be present for these communities? Colleagues and friends are adopting new


ways of coping, with online exercise regimes and reconnecting with nature by walking barefoot in their gardens. Others, who live near woods and other large outdoor spaces, continue to enjoy walks with families and are also appreciating nature all the more. T e psychological divide in how we can engage with others and each other has changed. John and I are at diff erent life stages, and


this crisis might have diff erent meanings. My daughter worries about losing me and I worry about my daughter contracting Covid-19. Although fi ve weeks into the lockdown we are at home, our concerns for one another are less pronounced because we are together. A month or so ago, I read a blog by a


woman who is dying of cancer. It was touching on lots of levels, but what resonated


with me the most was how normal life always continues. Covid-19 has a diff erent meaning for her. It didn’t seem to infi ltrate her life as it has done so many of us. Reading this blog made me think afresh about the diff erent types of stories we hear, foreground and the meanings we at ach. It touched on the memories I had of my parents when they died, many years ago. At that time in my life, it was all consuming. It was like a tsunami had entered my life and leſt me ravished. It was a challenging time in my life. T e world continued to spin, and life continued and, if I had wanted to share my story of grief, there would have been a willing audience. How do we join together with the range


of emotions and life stories that are going on around us? How do we acknowledge such stories and connect with the micro and meta-narratives of survival, pain and grief? Unlike Ron, I no longer search the news


for daily updates about the numbers of people who have lost their lives. I am less interested in party political wranglings. I am fi nding my way through this time, hoping I can remain open to the other stories amid the tsunami. Holding in mind a new emerging meaning of what joining and separating means in this new world.


References Mason, B., (1993) Towards positions of safe uncertainty. Human Systems: The Journal of Systemic Consultation and Management, 4: 189- 200. Quotes.net (2020) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 (online). Available at: www.quotes. net/mquote/1014423 [Accessed 19 April 2020].


Context 169, June 2020


Uncertain times and certainty


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