There are so many bad things about the coronavirus and COVID-19. I don't think it's necessary to go into it. We all know that when we come out of this--eventually--it's going to have changed the very fabric of our society and who we are as people.
In my own life, I'm nervous about sickness, job loss, educational interruption, and an exacerbation of our anxiety, which already runs high in the family. But as I look at our daily routine, much of it is what I have been wishing for for a very long time.
I can "sleep in" until 6 or 6:30 if I want, using the time to snuggle with my boys instead of hopping in the shower and running out the door to "beat the traffic." I have the time--if I wish--to run in the morning. For the past 3-4 years I've been complaining that I have NO time to fit exercise into my life. Well that excuse is technically gone now. Going back to the idea of traffic, you really can't "beat the traffic" in Boston...but now, my hour-long horrible commute is gone. Arguably the worst part of my day has disappeared. Statistically, I wonder: am I actually safer now without all that daily car time than I was before? In other words, even in the midst of a pandemic, I'm guessing my odds of survival went UP, not down, by eliminating my daily commuting time. I have to pause and think about that for a moment...
I am a teacher, in large part--I'll fess up--because it allows me to spend summers with my boys. While they are young and still want to spend time with me, there is no more precious gift in my eyes. I don't care for prestige, money, or "success" in other people's eyes if it takes away this time with my kids. We have epic summers...every day is full of adventure, exploring, and time with the cousins (my brother and his kids--my bro is also a teacher). I do not struggle to fill the days up, and I am good at not spending a lot of money while having fun.
Now, the circumstances are obviously different, but I'm once again home with my boys. Sure, I'm working a full-time job and making sure they still get an education, but I see them more. We can do more together. This is a huge gift.
And so my perspective is shifting rapidly. When this is all over, I am not sure I can go back to that old way of living again. I might have to because of the ugly financial realities of this pandemic. But what it has given me, no matter what, is a renewed vision of what life could be like. I could eliminate my commute by making some different choices. I could homeschool my boys. We could downsize our house and make financial changes to emphasize and support different priorities. I realize that this all comes from a place of immeasurable privilege. But that is why I feel--more than ever--like I need to take advantage of the privilege. COVID-19 is forcing me to see my life for what it is and is challenging me to make more authentic choices. We'll see... So it begs the question, when things to back to "normal" what will your new normal be?? Do you want to go back to the way it was, or will things be forever changed? This is the time to reevaluate everything...I mean everything, from the people we choose to spend our energy on to the things we spend our money on, to the food we eat, to the way we spend our day. What will you do when this is over?
In my own life, I'm nervous about sickness, job loss, educational interruption, and an exacerbation of our anxiety, which already runs high in the family. But as I look at our daily routine, much of it is what I have been wishing for for a very long time.
I can "sleep in" until 6 or 6:30 if I want, using the time to snuggle with my boys instead of hopping in the shower and running out the door to "beat the traffic." I have the time--if I wish--to run in the morning. For the past 3-4 years I've been complaining that I have NO time to fit exercise into my life. Well that excuse is technically gone now. Going back to the idea of traffic, you really can't "beat the traffic" in Boston...but now, my hour-long horrible commute is gone. Arguably the worst part of my day has disappeared. Statistically, I wonder: am I actually safer now without all that daily car time than I was before? In other words, even in the midst of a pandemic, I'm guessing my odds of survival went UP, not down, by eliminating my daily commuting time. I have to pause and think about that for a moment...
I am a teacher, in large part--I'll fess up--because it allows me to spend summers with my boys. While they are young and still want to spend time with me, there is no more precious gift in my eyes. I don't care for prestige, money, or "success" in other people's eyes if it takes away this time with my kids. We have epic summers...every day is full of adventure, exploring, and time with the cousins (my brother and his kids--my bro is also a teacher). I do not struggle to fill the days up, and I am good at not spending a lot of money while having fun.
Now, the circumstances are obviously different, but I'm once again home with my boys. Sure, I'm working a full-time job and making sure they still get an education, but I see them more. We can do more together. This is a huge gift.
And so my perspective is shifting rapidly. When this is all over, I am not sure I can go back to that old way of living again. I might have to because of the ugly financial realities of this pandemic. But what it has given me, no matter what, is a renewed vision of what life could be like. I could eliminate my commute by making some different choices. I could homeschool my boys. We could downsize our house and make financial changes to emphasize and support different priorities. I realize that this all comes from a place of immeasurable privilege. But that is why I feel--more than ever--like I need to take advantage of the privilege. COVID-19 is forcing me to see my life for what it is and is challenging me to make more authentic choices. We'll see... So it begs the question, when things to back to "normal" what will your new normal be?? Do you want to go back to the way it was, or will things be forever changed? This is the time to reevaluate everything...I mean everything, from the people we choose to spend our energy on to the things we spend our money on, to the food we eat, to the way we spend our day. What will you do when this is over?
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