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| Kids after a lunch run |
The coronavirus is the topic of this post too. (Click
here for a link to a post with free homeschooling resources.) Like everyone else, I am consumed by it. I watch the press conferences, peruse the 24/7 news channels for more information, and read all of my friends' posts discussing it. Somehow in a matter of weeks, I have developed a voracious appetite for information about what this virus might mean for me and those I love.
I think that it is the constant availability of information and speculation that is contributing to my own sense of insecurity. That said, there is hope, love and light in the midst of it all.
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Someone asked me why this was happening and expressed it to me as someone with deep faith. The funny thing about that is I don't recall discussing my faith with this person. However, I guess that you never know when people are watching and what conclusions they are reaching. Although I don't claim to have great insight, her question has caused me to reflect on what this time of social distancing and self-quarantine has taught me. It made me remember another time when a natural disaster caused me to get what I needed.
Several years ago, I took some migraine medication at night and was completely exhausted in the morning. Instead of staying at home and calling in sick, I forced myself to get up and go to work. As an attorney, I thought sick days were reserved for others or for me when I simply was unable to walk. When I arrived at my office, a guard blocked me from the parking garage and said that the office was closed due to a power outage. I had never been happier in my life! I think I was supposed to find an alternate location to work. However, I went to bed and rested. That was exactly what I needed.
Fast forward to today. I've been at home for the past three weeks, parenting, working from home, and educating my kids. While I don't know why this is happening, there are lessons to be learned. And I have found myself wondering if this time at home, isn't exactly what I needed.
Faith, Fitness, Family and Friends, Four Keys to Surviving COVID-19 Stress
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| Kids during conference call |
Faith: Churches are now live streaming services, which allows believers like me who have small kids to participate in more meaningful ways. I have LOVED IT and I have been renewed. The past two Sundays I have listened to church while walking outside and then run with gospel music as my soundtrack.
Fitness: I have been more faithful to regular fitness during this time and it has grounded me. Three weeks in, I really that fitness has been the source of my solace throughout every challenge I have had. I think that it is important to draw on whatever you have leaned on during prior struggles. Sure, this one is unprecedented, but it is still a struggle. So, do what you have done in the past. It will make you claim a semblance of control.
Friends: I have learned that social distancing does not have to mean social isolation. My friends and coworkers have turned me onto new social media sites like
Tik Tok, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Houseparty. I have LOVED seeing my friends prove their dancing chops on Tik Tok even if I've been too timid to do one myself. I have also enjoyed all of the video happy parties that I have enjoyed. Given that I have three small children, these happy hours have been more fun than I'd have outside of the social distancing because I'd just be home alone with the kids and hubs doing their thing around me!
Family: What can I say about my family. My daughter picks up the slack during the day when I am working while teaching. For the past three weeks, my mom has conducted a daily live stream Spanish class for the kids that has already enhanced their comprehension. Recently, my mother-in-law started reading them an afternoon story. Indeed, with the absence of formal instruction, these family contributions have been everything! I have had more daily family touch points during the time than ever before and that has brought me joy in the midst of all of the chaos.
So, I'm not saying this has been sunshine and rainbows because I am struggling to do it all and to maintain my center in the midst of a very scary world. Still, there is a blessing here, that I am trying to appreciate daily. Because what is more clear about this pandemic is that nothing should be taken for granted. This moment is all that we have.
(Click
here for a link to a post with free homeschooling resources.)
Be blessed!!!
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