I woke up this morning feeling a little off - no wonder; everything is upside down these days. As I went through my morning routine of writing and reading followed by a nice run outdoors, I felt better. It’s shocking just how much these little things can make you feel better immediately. I knew I had a day of calls ahead, coupled with some 7th grade math help (I don’t think I was that much help as I certainly don’t remember the formulas for the area of a rectangular prism…) Thank God for google! Wilson asked the very wise question - “at what point will I use this in life?” I felt pretty good about my answer - it’s not ABOUT that. It’s about LEARNING how to LEARN….figuring out a way to find an answer to a complex situation…THIS you will use every single day of your life, WILSON!
We all are juggling this “new normal” now; juggling the demands of work with family like never before, working remotely (which I mostly do anyway) with other people in the house also working remotely, and trying to stay focused on the important things. The one thing that REALLY made my day today was a FaceTime call from my daughter Emily and her cat, Poppy. I was shocked at how just this simple thing made me smile and laugh and just want to hug her through the phone. Facetime someone today - that simple little connection is so powerful!
We’ve been debating the take out food dilemma….I think we’ve decided we are comfortable with picking it up from a local restaurant (we want to support them!), sanitizing the box and eating it at home. I am the antithesis of a germaphobe (five second rule is my middle name)…so I find this all a bit unsettling. However, I’m taking the advice of experts in all that I do right now in an effort to stem the spread of this virus.
One thing my daughter said when she called me this morning was that she woke up with a commitment on her mind; a commitment to NEVER taking alllll the little things for granted in the future. She was referring to the little things like going to the gym, popping into the grocery store a couple of times a week, hanging out with friends at a restaurant or a bar, running into a local store to buy a birthday gift for a friend…..I couldn’t agree with her more. I miss hugging people. We have a very walkable neighborhood and it’s not uncommon for me to run into people I know when I’m out walking or running - and it’s so natural for me to hug them. I’m looking forward to that return to normalcy!
In the meantime, I’m grateful for the fresh air when I head outside for a run, spring happening in Atlanta (the most BEAUTIFUL time of year here) , our neighborhood market that seems to have everything we need, a school system that is doing virtual school each day to keep Wilson somewhat focused on learning, a job I can work from home, and the restful feeling of being home every night, and the time to just sit and BE; less doing and going, more BEING.
There is something so wondrous about being still. This weird time in our life gives us more time for stillness. More time for thinking. Makes me think of a Rumi quote - “In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”. Be still.