In the rush to return to normal…
“In the rush to return normal, use this time to consider which part of normal are worth rushing back to.” - Dave Hollis
Sixty days. It’s been sixty days since lives were turned upside down with Covid-19 and our new “norm” of a quarantine lifestyle. Those first few weeks were incredibly slow, but now looking back, I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s been a rollercoaster. I was never so happy to see March or April come to an end. For the first few weeks, a good day was measured by whether or not I cried. If anyone has been able to keep their anxiety and emotions under control, I would love to know your secrets. I compare these past two months to the seven stages of grief…shock, denial, anger, bargaining…and then at some point finally getting to acceptance. As I write this, “I think” I am getting to acceptance. Acceptance of the new norm, acceptance of social distancing, acceptance of wearing masks, and adjusting our lifestyle to keep ourselves and others healthy.
Yet, push this all aside, and we’re doing ok. Do I yearn for things to go back to normal? Absolutely. Do I worry about what’s in store for the next 1-2 years? Most definitely. However, we’ve had to pivot and adapt in so many ways over the past two months, that at this point, I feel you can throw anything at us, and we’ll figure it out.
We’ve spent more time together in these past few months than…umm ever? Think about that. So much togetherness, it could drive even the biggest family person crazy. However, we’ve not only made it work, but we’ve learned and grown as a family. There are things that have been on my to-do list that took a quarantine to make happen. Reading Harry Potter, painting furniture, conquering meal planning, and of course digging deeper into photography. I feel more connected to my family than ever. As a matter of fact, the kids often do their work in the office with me, and I love that…most of the time😊
And we’ve gone from a non-stop calendar to an empty calendar. I don’t even wear a watch anymore. The month of May is typically the equivalent to December for us with so many activities, that by the end of the month we’re exhausted. Clearly not the case this year. Yes, there are absolutely traditions I wish we could celebrate, that I know we’ll never get back. However, we’ve pivoted and adapted…and we’ll be ok.
As crazy as this sounds, these past few months aren’t something that I want to just forget about. There are several things we will change as a result of this “chapter” for the better. The first day where we are all back at work and school…part of me will be sad, because this too will be over. As challenging as some days have been, I am truly grateful to be home with my family.
There are always moments - good and bad, ordinary and extraordinary. Document them, and tell the story….so when the “normal” returns, you’ll remember those parts worth holding onto.
Here’s a little bit of our story these past 60 days.
xoxoxo,
Jen
