"New Normal"... Quarantine Blessings?

These past few months have been an adjustment for all of us. We keep hearing phrases like "new normal", "pivot", "physical distancing" and "quarantine." I know you're over these phrases, like I am. It's been hard. My previous post talked about how the first stage of this pandemic was akin to the stages of grief. We lost our way of life, in a snap of the fingers. It was gone, just like that. We all had to shift how we were living, and I acknowledged that I was feeling loss. I grieved all the things we lost. But now that we are months in, and that sense of "new normal" has set in, I am able to take a step back and see the good that has come out of this. And really, there is a lot of good.

First, I have to say that I am so grateful to still have my job. It looks different, but I am still working full time. My household is very, very lucky. We haven't suffered financially like so many others. I am so, so, grateful for this. I had a hard time shifting to remote work, but in the grand scheme of things, I am so lucky to have been a part of this, because I learned that I am capable of turning on a dime and adjusting. I have adapted my workflow, my schedule, my methods - and I have been largely successful here. It hasn't been without its challenges, but if I look at the big picture, this whole shift has given me skills to add to my resume, and simply helped me to become a better teacher. Things I didn't think were possible a few months ago have proven to not only be possible, but successful.

If I continue on this thread of things I feel good about, I can say that I'm finally out of the initial funk of eating and drinking in excess because I felt awful. I had to go through that grossness, but I finally feel like I don't want to soothe with food and wine. That, is a blessing. Bringing some nutrition back into my life feels really awesome. I have lost almost 5 pounds this week, just from not eating everything I see and want all the time. Win!

I've gotta say, being stuck in my home with my family has been... so amazing. This has allowed us to bond and gel in ways we haven't before. I am so grateful to be quarantined with people I really like spending time with! My (soon to be) wife and I have had so many amazing conversations and we've been able to spend time with each other in a way that isn't usually possible when our lives are so busy and crazy. Not that I don't work way too much still, but no commute = 2 extra hours in  my day. My girls have become closer to each other, and we've been able to spend some amazing time together. We've baked a million things, dusted off our roller-blades, found some tv shows to watch together, and just generally we've been able to work together and enjoy each other's company. I think this has been extremely hard on our kids - losing school and social life - but really I think this has brought out the best in my girls. I've seen their kindness and empathy on another level. The usual anxiety of life has all but dissipated and they are smiling more. They help more around the house. They cook dinner. They bake cakes and fun things for friends and deliver them to doorsteps with thoughtful notes and cards. They don't bicker with each other as much as they used to. They hang out with each other, because frankly, they have no one else to hang out with! They laugh, giggle and play. It is a breath of fresh air.

Don't get me wrong. We're not all sunshine all the time, but really, I think today, the good outweighs the bad. This whole life shift has brought some things into a sharper focus than they were before. The way I was living my life wasn't sustainable. I worked full time, then worked at my side gig after that, then by the time I was finally finished working, I was too spent to give anything to the people I love most. I am still working long, hard days. But, that extra two hours of not commuting has made it so I can finish everything earlier, usually early enough to sit down to dinner every night with my family. I have time in the evenings to just sit and be. I honestly haven't experienced that in decades. The pace of life has slowed so much, I feel like I can actually stop and breathe today. I know it won't always be this way, but I think I will be more aware of my pace in the future. I will make sure that I'm not running myself ragged, and make time to stop. That's something I have always had trouble with. I'm happy I was forced to do it.

So my lesson? Even though there is so much fear, uncertainty and still a great deal of difficulty, today the good outweighs the bad. It feels good to see the positive that has come out of this. I don't feel like this every day, but today is a day to breathe, and feel grateful. We were forced to full stop and re-imagine our lives in a different way and that has shown us what we are capable of. Adversity tends to show us how we can be better and do better, so today, I am grateful.