I know the whole conversation of COVID-19 has been getting more and more exhausting whether we want to hear about it or not. As much as I try to avoid the frequent updates, it’s been the #1 trending topic in the U.S. for the past two months. We have to turn to the news for updates yet they do not seem to be getting any better. Mentally it’s all been pretty draining in more ways than one. The unknown of what the future holds for us economy wise has probably been the most scary part.
As I’ve made my way to the grocery stores and other small businesses during this time, it’s been such a humbling experience. I didn’t realize how much I took for granted having access to everything I ever needed when it came time to get it. My shopping for the past month has consisted of the frequent need for water, paper towel, toilet tissue, eggs, juice, condiments, bread, etc. but not being able to get access to it. To walk around Walmart and see the shelves completely empty week after week has been such an uneasy feeling because there’s no telling how long its going to be this way.
When I am able to get out......it starts to become strange seeing everyone in masks, gloves, or whatever item they decided to use as a shield of protection. The interaction is so limited because the virus isn’t something that you can see. Initially, we were informed that the virus displays symptoms, yet people with no symptoms are contracting it. They also said it’s likely to affect those with weaker immune systems yet, perfectly healthy people are dying. So naturally as humans we're in defense mode because we’re not sure what to believe. Seeing tape on the floor of grocery stores, gas stations, fast food restaurants, liquor stores, hospitals, etc. to indicate where you should stand for the safety of yourself and others, I’m sure is not quite the 2020 we had in mind. To know that for almost 2 months now, this has been everyday life in not just the U.S. but the entire world Is insane to me.
My heart is hurting for the world and the unfortunate circumstances which we’ve all been up against because of this. I am feeling for children who are stuck at home who had school as an escape from their dysfunctional household. I am feeling for people who had to die alone with no one by their side. I am feeling for high school and college seniors who BUSTED THEIR ASSES for the moment to walk across stage. I am feeling for the millions of people who lost their jobs. I am feeling for people who had to cancel or postpone weddings, birthdays, and/or babyshowers. I am feeling for those fighting for their life at this very moment.
In some way or another we’ve all been effected by this pandemic, whether directly or indirectly. We learned and are still learning not to take life or people for granted.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances there's been a lot of positives in this whole situation. It was not as easy to see it that way at first though. For one, being that we can’t go anywhere.....a lot of us are actually saving money. Speaking for myself, because of the whole thing.....my student loan payments were automatically deferred until November. So until November I’m saving a few extra hundred dollars in my pocket monthly. A second positive is, we all are able to either be home more, work from home, teach at home, parent at home, etc. Often times when you ask busy working people what is something that they need........a common answer is usually vacation. WELL BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR BECAUSE..........here is the vacation we’ve all been asking for. I like to look at it like were currently on a vacation from life, stress, common routine, people, habits, temptations, etc. When a person typically goes on vacation, the point of it is to get away from your worries of real life whether personal or professional.
With the little time we get to actually have off in general, when we do vacation we want it to be meaningful but fun. Relaxing but still maintaining the ability to tap into other creative parts of our minds. Take this time with everything going on as the same thing. Treat it as the mental, spiritual, and emotional vacation that you’ve desperately needed but without the actual island. Create. Invest. Draw. Read. Paint. Cook. Pray. Bake. Meditate. Call DON’T text. Check ON not check IN. Apologize...not just to yourself, but also to others. Forgive. Laugh. Cry. Be grateful. Smile. Enjoy the silence but scream when you have to. Be kind. Be gentle. Pick up a hobby. Drop a habbit. Learn something new. Actually do the thing that you’ve been putting off forever. Drop a bad person. Reconnect with an old friend. Try a recipe, along with a new bottle of wine. Soul search. Search the internet. Just please do something while we have the damn time.
Whatever it is that you do, the point is to not come out of this the same. We weren’t inside to be kept. We were inside to come out bigger. Everyone will take their own indivdual meaning from this time because everyone was effected differently. Above everything, I hope we continue to pray for the world, and pray for each other. Let’s appreciate things and people a little bit more than we did ever before. Never take for granted the times when we had access to stores, malls, barbershops, hair salons, nail shops, beaches, etc. May we all be able to look back at this as something that not only impacted the world, but also brought it a little closer together.
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At first I didn’t have the advantage of working from home until my job finally gave us the green light to do so. I was super excited because I just knewwww I would be making breakfast on the clock with no care in the world! LOL.
But no seriously.....I was excited because there was no longer an urgency to get ready. No need to have to physically be somewhere at a particular time. And most importantly......THERE IS NO TRAFFIC BECAUSE YOU’RE WORKING FROM HOME!!!
It takes 30 days to make or break a habit and I can honestly say I’ve adjusted to the work from home habit and don’t want to go back. Being home I‘ve been able to reflect without overthinking. Reflecting lead me to the reason behind this post. I wanted to share a lot of the positives I discovered during this dark time:
1. People are making more time for family and friends
2. Gas is DIRT CHEAP
3. We’re learning how to save $$ by finding alternatives to things. (Working out at home or outside, doing your hair and nails at home, cooking more buying less, etc)
4. STAY UP LATE.......SLEEP IN LATE
5. We’re saving the earth with our limited outdoor interaction
6. We all learned how to use Zoom (or some of us).
7. Washed our hands more.
8. Checked in on each others well-being.
9. Sent our condolenscences to those that needed it.
10. Took more appreciation of the moments, people, and the things around us.
11. Binge watch.
12. Took our health more seriously.
13. Got your first EVER stimulus check.
14. OR didn’t qualify for the stimulus check, but was around to hear about it.
15. Learned about something or how to do something
16. *INSERT HERE*
Here’s pictures from my quarantine over the past few weeks that hopefully will make you happy :)
1. Cooked more since I was home more.
2. Read books, painted, adjusted to working from home, saged my home, vision board 2020, started running, and even tried press-on nails! LOL
3. Quarantine Queen
4. Soaked my nails off myself. Turned my living room into an office space, and instead of tea in the morning, I had hot chocolate.
5. Take-out 3/22/2020
Isolation is hard. We are wired for connection. We are at war with an invisible enemy, and it is easy to become restless and aggressive when we have so much empty time on our hands. If there is any kind of silver lining to this deadly and tragic coronavirus it is that it has brought us to our knees and made us stop and think. All in all, stay prayed up, stay safe, and stay blessed!
This too shall pass.
-JEREMIAH 29:11
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