What The Coronavirus Has Taught Me Thus Far
Hello from my home to yours!
I hope your quarantine is going well and your family is getting by the best they can. This thing is not for the faint of heart… Schedules all messed up, routines are a wash, celebrations are canceled, being WITH people is postponed – what a strange time it is. I’ve been listening to the news, reading about the virus, following along with what the professionals recommend but even for the strongest of people this new way of life can feel daunting and life seems unpredictable at this point.
Whether you are worried or just riding this thing out there is one thing that is for sure – we needed this. Now please, before you light into me about people being sick, dying, losing their jobs, etc try and hear me out. I am fully aware the devastation this is causing and I’m not a fan of that. I’m with you. I HATE it. But with everything, I am trying to find a why. A purpose. A reason. A silver lining if you will?
So, here’s a few things I’ve learned not only about myself but about society and community.
- Humans are resilient, creative and good. In the face of adversity it has been incredible to see heartwarming stories emerge. To see companies step up to the plate and out of their comfort zones. To see the funny that people are able to create. The last couple of years, in this country especially, have seemed so divisive and angry. And right now – it doesn’t matter your religion, race, political affiliation, gender or socioeconomic status… People are helping people and it is good.
- Our pace of life was heading for destruction. Packed schedules, bad diets, overworked parents, bumper-to-bumper traffic, health problems, stress, life related anxiety and depression, comparison lifestyles, indulgent consumer habits and time stretched families… And now we being forced (literally) to slow down. Zero schedules, time at home to prepare food and eat together, working in the home with zero commute, relaxation, a halt on shopping wherever and whenever. Now I know that this may not be what is looks like for every family but maybe there is something to this slower pace of life, at home, in our communities, focusing on families and neighbors.
- I don’t actually NEED what is think I need. I will be the first to admit that I love long walks in Target, touching everything, and buying $200 of who knows what even though I went in for razors and a birthday card. I have always been very quick to say ‘oh, we need this. It will help so much!’ And before I saw that thing I didn’t even know t existed. Well, now that I’m home and we can’t go out it has been like detoxing off of caffeine or sugar. I have moments of ‘we need this’ or ‘I want to buy that’ and stop and realize that I don’t and I can’t. It is amazing what we can actually live off of. I am realizing that my consumer habits are a bit extreme. And as someone who works faithfully off a budget it actually opens up funds for other things besides STUFF!
- We don’t get these days back with our families. My schedule (usually) is to get up at 3:45am and be out the door by 4:10am. We are at the station at 5:00am and the work day starts! If I’m lucky I am out the door by Noon. Drive back to Salem, pick up Bridger from my parents house. We go home, he goes down for a 2 hour nap and I usually try to catch up then. Bills, house work, laundry or maybe a nap! Then when Bridger gets up we hang out and play. About 5:00pm I start dinner and Spenser gets home shortly there after. We all hang out for about 2 hours and then we start bedtime routines. Bridger is down between 7:30-8:00pm and then Spenser and I are in bed by 8:30PM. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for Bridger time and Spenser time. Right now I am getting so much more time with them and while it can be exhausting at times, I’m not taking it for granted.
What have you learned during this time? Have you had any silver linings of your own? Praying and thinking about you and your safety and your health!
xoxoxo
Jenn
