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This piece is inspired by my experiences of being a human first and a social worker second during a global pandemic. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck each and every one of our lives, and it brought about an abundance of grief, profound isolation, and a call to action to create change in our broken world. As a social worker, I juggle many identities: doctoral student, adjunct instructor, and therapist. Similarly, in my personal life, I am a partner, sister, daughter, and community member. Through a personal loss in my "chosen" family this past year, I learned that the most important role I carry is being human. My chosen family is a group of four families who have molded into one extended family, one in which we have always practiced collective care for one another. Our loss reminded me how persistent and all-consuming grief can be, and that I, as a person in the helping profession, must ground myself in caring for the humanness within myself.
When we care for others, we often lose...