We are in a unique situation right now. Never in our lifetimes have we been forced to seclude ourselves from “unnecessary” work, activities and socializing. We have been hearing for years about how we should get our noses out of our phones and in front of each other, and now, we’re being forced to do the opposite. And we’re sad about it.
Before Denver ratcheted up our “social distancing” a close PA friend of mine treated a woman who they then tested for COVID-19. My friend self-quarantined for 3 days while waiting for the results. She is a lot like me. Social. Type A. She had her house cleaned (which was already clean) in the first 3 hours. She panicked, “What am I going to do if I have to be here for 2 weeks?!”
Talking to her on the phone I felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of it. I will admit, I’ve been known to be bummed I don’t get sick more often for the excuse it provides me to BE STILL.
I know. I can’t believe I just admitted that to you.
Truth is, I think facing the possibility through my friend put me in a different mindset by the time our orders came to sit still. I embraced it with a little more giddy than I should admit. I looked forward to a discomfort level that would make me use the word “bored”. (A bad word in my house growing up.) I wanted to be sick of my kids. I was excited to see how long I could go without going to the grocery store. This is big for a woman who normally goes daily. I thought it would be kind of fun to be down to the canned goods and an empty freezer… be a little bit miserable for some reason.
My husband is a financial planner. The kind who really cares about each and every one of his clients. So watching the daily plummet has been a little bit like hell for him. He was supposed to have back surgery, which of course has been cancelled, and he was fighting a cold or allergies bad enough to make even the happiest guy miserable. He’s an annoyingly happy guy by nature. Not even all this could prevent him from smiling and loving on us all like the strong, happy, loving man he is when things are going smoothly.
We have both taken the opportunity for real discussions with our kids. I have spent a LOT more time in the kitchen. I’m doing my best to keep their brains running, while also getting to enjoy a new pace. This is a challenge that I think will teach us all so much and this will likely never happen again in our lifetimes! That alone is reason to use it for good. Love each other better. Love ourselves better. Practice loving. Practice all the calm and awareness we’re usually too busy (and comfortable) to practice.