(Photo credit: Facebook)
When the pandemic first hit in March of 2020, places you used to visit regularly, literally came to halt: restaurants didn’t allow dining in, movie theaters were shut, and even churches closed their doors to in-person gathering. A lot of churches immediately went online to do virtual church so members can worship online.
Metropolitan Church in Tulsa, OK also went to virtual services and it affected the membership differently.
“The morning of March 29 was our first Sunday that we did not have church in the sanctuary,” said church member Dr. Laverne Wimberly.
According to WISTV Channel 10, instead of just plopping down on the couch or staying in bed to be “bedside baptist” while watching church, Wimberly decided to get dressed up for virtual church and then post it on Facebook.
“I just decided at that point I’m just going to get dressed as if I was going to church, so I would not get into the habit of just slouching around,” she told WISTV.
And she did that every single Sunday – her picture in her Sunday best with a word of encouragement.
“I wanted not only to keep myself motivated, but I wanted to help keep others motivated as well, to inspire them, encourage them, and kind of eradicate some types and forms of depression, isolation, fear and despair,” she said.
(Photo credit: Facebook)
She kept a journal of what she wore so each day was different for every Sunday Facebook post.
And Dr. Wimberly is right about how clothing plays a part in one’s depression.
Personal hygiene is key for maintaining optimal health, but if you’re having a depressive episode and are feeling down like many were feeling when the pandemic first started, getting yourself up and dressed is often the last thing you feel like doing.
Other basic hygiene tasks that can be a challenge when you’re depressed can include:
According to a recent study, it showed how women who are depressed or sad are more likely to wear baggy tops, jeans, and a sweatshirt or jumper. Women who are happy or positive are more likely to wear a favorite dress, jewelry, and jeans. These clothing choices seem to mean that women who are feeling down put less effort into what they’re wearing, and women who are in a good mood tend to try and look nicer to match their mood.
The research in the study provides a look into how we can improve our moods. It shows that clothes impact strongly on how we feel and may also influence how we think (as the above research also suggests), which we’ll be exploring further in our research. It suggests we should give more thought to what we wear and even dress for happiness, irrespective of how we are feeling. If we knew more about which clothes could lift a person’s mood perhaps there’d be less need for anti-depressant medication.
“I got a lot of feedback, more feedback than I wanted on the way I looked,” Wimberly said. “I really wanted them to focus on the message. I did have to say one time during one of those posts, to focus on the message rather than on me.”
A long-time teacher, principal and school administrator, the hats and smiles of Wimberly were missed.
“I would see Dr. Wimberly every Sunday morning,” said Minister of Worship Merton Huff. “She was the first person in the sanctuary with me.”
Huff is ready to welcome members back, but until then he appreciates Wimberly’s pictures and posts.
“I don’t think she has missed a Sunday of just devotionals, encouragement. It’s like she gives you a sermon before service even starts. It gives you something to focus on,” Huff said. “And, you know, of course the dressing up, it made my kids get dressed.”
She spent a lifetime encouraging and educating Tulsa families. The pandemic didn’t stop her from celebrating the election, holidays and even her 82nd birthday – alone, with a cake that she didn’t have to share this time.
But she’s ready to go back to church.
“As soon as the health officials and the scientists give us the green light that everything will be safe, I’ll probably be the first one in the door,” she said.
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