"Crises can also serve as wake up calls. Many people tend to live life by inertia. You will continue on the path you are on, usually set by your family of origin, your culture, and early decision unless something gets you to reexamine the direction you are taking. Crises can give you the time and opportunity to change course or recommit to an earlier abandoned dream."
It's easy to see the hardship in all of this. I think about the people who have been directly impacted - those who have battled Covid-19 and are recovering, and unfortunately, the many who have lost their lives and their families grieving so much. I think about the emotional toll this is taking on our leaders, our healthcare workers, and the many people making impossible decisions right now. I think about the loneliness - at nursing homes, in college dorm rooms, people all over the world suddenly isolated in their homes. I think about the economic hardship this has put on SO many people - the service industry, small business owners, restaurants, gyms, hair salons, and coffee shops. More than 3 million people filed for unemployment this week alone, more than any week in our nation's history. I think about high school seniors and college students, Olympic athletes and couples planning spring weddings - people who have waited years and worked hard and pursued dreams that are suddenly on hold for who knows how long. And the list goes on and on and on.
I've been getting up early every morning, starting the day on the floor with a candle and my Bible, doing my best to surrender my day and this whole thing to God. And every morning, I feel the calm assurance that He is in this thing. And while I'm not sure anyone can effectively estimate when we'll be out of our homes and back to work and soccer fields and restaurants on a Friday night, I can confidently say there has been so much beauty and so much good in this crisis, too. So much so that I feel overwhelmed by it most days. As we live out these days of so many unknowns, we have such an opportunity to SEE the gifts all around us and BE those gifts to others. I'm convinced that someday when this is all said and done, we will look back on these days and not remember the numbers of Covid-19, the stock markets, or the politics involved, but we'll talk about those days we all stayed home, the days we entertained neighbors with teddy bears in our windows, the days we ate together at the table every night, the days we didn't fill calendars with endless commitments but played games and read books and sat still. As I watch Cruz and Mila these days, I'm convinced they won't remember the fear or uncertainty, but will remember feeling safe, seen, and loved.
891. Several of Beau's insurance agent friends from all over the state purchased gift cards at local coffee shops as a standing tab for any health care worker who purchased a coffee on their way to or from work. The response Beau received was so special. The day after he posted about it, he had hundreds of shares, comments, and several personal messages from nurses with their coffee in hand. It was a special reminder that the little things go such a long way when it comes to seeing people well.
892. Beau isn't the only one seeing people well these days. The very first thing Mila did upon hearing she was going to be home-schooled for three weeks was make several little messages for her friends in the neighborhood. We had fun sneaking up to their doors this week and taping her messages on doors for her friends to discover later.
893. All the neighborhood creativity going on! Sidewalk chalk obstacle courses, bear hunts, front porch photo sessions, lending libraries filled with books and toilet paper! I sure love the ways people are building connection while being more apart than ever before.
894. All the family meals we're having! I'm convinced I'm going to cross off two of my 40 Before 40 Bucket List items before this is all said and done - family meals cooked and eaten together at the table for two weeks straight (hello, 14 day quarantine) and finally making every recipe in Magnolia Table Cookbook! This week, we had a yummy quiche, cauliflower soup, and our favorite, the banana cream trifles that were fun to assemble and the perfect spring dessert.
895. Classical music during workbook and reading time. Creating a peaceful learning environment for my kids is my jam.
896. Group Marco Polo challenges with friends at night. Whipped cream launches, koala challenges, quaratini mixology lessons, and "Love is Blind" kiss hunts. I love the ways we've stayed connected with so many of our people.
The "quarantini" - a shot of vodka, a shot of grand marnier, a shot of orange simple syrup, and an Emergen-C rim...with an Airborne gummy garnish. ;)
And the kid-friendly version - orange juice with a shot of maraschino cherry juice. They approved!
897. A midday Thursday afternoon fire after Beau got a little stir crazy in his basement office. I was on a Zoom meeting with my boss and saw smoke drifting above my back window. And then I heard the guitar from the back patio and knew what was going on.
898. New series on Netflix and a new subscription to Hulu. Little Fires Everywhere and the infamous Tiger King - aka, the only other trending topic besides Coronavirus right now...
899. Our highlight of the week - seeing all our teachers
Good stuff hon! I'm sure missing you all & thanks to this post, I am really craving a banana cream trifle!! I may have to try making those. ( if I can find bananas!) They look delicious! Tell Cruz I love his sign! Laughed so hard when he said he was folding underwear with tongs the other day! Tell Mila her sign is awesome too!! Missing her hugs terribly!!
ReplyDeleteThanking God for His many blessings & saying many prayers for this crisis to be over soon. Love you much!!