Sai’s Theory of Relativity (and also my take on the sourdough baking trend)

Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with physics. I did two semesters of it in undergrad and hope to never encounter it again. Einstein, please don’t sue me. 

Everyone, and I mean every. single. person. has been impacted by COVID-19 in one way or another. And I think there’s a danger in this fact if we don’t address it properly. People are undergoing simultaneous trauma, regardless of the way in which this trauma manifests itself – which is why I think now, more than ever is a time for empathy, not just sympathy. 

COVID-19 can’t turn into a game of “who’s suffering the most” because, at the end of the day, most of us are, and invalidating others’ pain won’t do anything for you, it’ll just make the situation worse for the other person. To the college senior, high school graduation may be no big deal. To the grad student, undergraduate graduation may be no big deal. To people canceling weddings, the grad school celebration may be no big deal. It’s dangerous to get caught in this cycle where you forget how big of a deal these events were when you were a high schooler, when you were in undergrad, etc. It’s a matter of understanding the relativity of how important events and losses are in another individual’s life. In that moment, you have to place yourself in the other person’s shoes and truly empathize with the hurt they’re feeling. Validate others’ emotions, offer support, guide them to coping techniques. 

Which brings me to the latter half of the title. People have been baking hella in quarantine to cope with the extra time, and it’s been bringing me a lot of joy. I have always loved cooking for others; I love the experience of running around the kitchen with family and then collectively sitting down around a meal with loved ones. Despite the fact that we can’t collectively gather around food in-person, it’s still serving as a centerpiece of conversation and socializing, as people share their recipes and kitchen disasters alike – be it the Dalgona coffee that took over Instagram stories or Chrissy Teigen sharing her Armadillo Cheesy Garlic Bread recipe on Twitter.

I also just love the simple comfort food brings to people, which is why I think that sourdough being the go-to experiment of quarantine is kind of beautiful. After all, is there a more comforting smell than that of baking bread? It’s basically a warm hug in a smell. 

That being said, stay safe, bake some bread, and donate to protect healthcare workers if you can. We will get through this together. 

I’m going to go bake a carrot cake. 

This blog post was written and submitted by my intern, Sai. All thoughts are her own and are gladly welcomed and promoted by the HGBC brand.