Joe Biden shares the tragedies he's faced in his own life to help people impacted by COVID-19

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden appeared in a virtual town hall-style meeting on MSNBC hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell on Thursday night. The event also featured an appearance by voting rights advocate and oft-rumored Democratic vice-presidential nominee Stacey Abrams.
During the event, Biden took questions from listeners on accusations of his sexual harassment, healthcare plan and of course, Donald Trump. The moment was particularly moving because it showed Biden's natural empathy at a time when many Americans are suffering the loss of loved ones.
Biden's ability to relate to everyday people in an authentic way has always been his greatest strength as a politician.
"As someone who has lost a wife and a daughter and a son and knows what it's like to go through loss. What advice would you give to a family who has lost someone to COVID-19?" a listener asked.
The presumptive Democratic nominee has had to overcome unspeakable tragedy in his life. In December 1972 his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed in a traffic accident. In May 2015, his son Beau died of brain cancer.
Biden To The Mourning Loved Ones: 'You'll Get Through This Veil Of Darkness' | The Last Word | MSNBCwww.youtube.com
"The folks who've recently lost someone to COVID-19, eighty-six, almost eighty-seven thousand of them now, they feel like there's a black hole in the middle of their chest. They're being sucked into it," Biden said. "They're frightened and they are scared and they don't know what to do."
Biden knows there's no easy way to get through the pain, but eventually people's feelings evolve.
"All I can tell them is it will take time," he said. "But, in time, what's gonna happen is you're gonna find when think of that son, daughter, husband, wife, mother, father you lost, you're gonna get a smile on your lip before you get a tear in your eye and that's when you know you're gonna make it."
His response was empathetic, but he also provided a specific way for people to focus their efforts to get through the sorrow.
"And the way you make it, at least in my experience ... is that you have to have a purpose," Biden continued. "Purpose will drive you to be able to control your life."
"But what I have to say is they're still with you. They're in your heart," Biden said. "They're part of your soul. It's who you are. And you've got to have faith that the time will come when you get through this veil of darkness. You really will. But the best way to get through it is with a sense of purpose."
Although it's difficult, one has to take the first steps toward healing themselves.
"You've got to move," he said. "You've just gotta get up. As my dad would say, 'When you get knocked down you just gotta get up.' And think to yourself what would they want you to do?"
After three-plus years of having Trump in office who has little regard for anyone but himself, Biden's heartfelt response is a reminder that it is possible to have a president that can feel a nation's pain. After the COVID-19 virus passes America, our nation will need to heal emotionally as much as it does economically. Biden has the experience to help us do both.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."