I admit it, I am guilty of overscheduling my family. We go from one event to the next with little margin for error or being late. Our days and weeks seem to blend together, and before we know it, months have gone by without any true quality family time and obligations for events, birthday parties, work, etc. have consumed our life. I am a social butterfly and thrive on interaction. Downtime isn’t good for me — or so I thought.
If I’m honest, I was dreading being “stuck” at home with my family (that’s such a sad thought, and I’m pretty embarrassed by it), but it has been the best medicine for my soul. I thrive on a routine, working all the time and being busy. I rarely stop, sit and take a chance to enjoy what is right in front of me. I’m always thinking or worried about the next thing. As terrible as the coronavirus is, it has given me the opportunity to really check my priorities and reconnect with my family on a deep level. Over the past couple days, my family has been able to tackle projects that we’ve been wanting to do for months, snuggle on the couch watching Frozen II on repeat, eat some really yummy food, explore our backyard, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine, and simply just be a family — without a million distractions.
- Staying in PJs all day means less laundry to do.
- A fresh face since taking a makeup hiatus.
- Spending (ugh, wasting) zero time getting ready, which means I may have gone 10 days without washing my hair most recently (thanks, dry shampoo).
- Getting creative and finding fun and FREE things to do in our home and backyard.
- Savoring the little things.
- Projects upon projects getting checked off.
- Organizing, purging, and donating items we no longer need or use.
- Deep-cleaning blinds, baseboards, fans, and all the things that get overlooked. The kids have helped, and it’s great learning for them, too!
- Seeing businesses and fellow moms coming together to share ideas and free content to keep our littles busy while we home school.
- Watching neighbors lend a helping hand or offer to pick up something at the store while they are out.
- People taking their free time to sew masks to help to limit the deficit.
So, if you are annoyed or irritated at what the coronavirus has done to your life and plans, try to embrace it if at all possible and turn your attitude toward gratitude for the extra time with your family, even though they may drive us crazy at times, to just BE. I know it’s easier said than done, especially as this affects us all financially and emotionally among many other things, but perspective is everything, and we will get through this together. Be kind, show grace, and love your neighbor.
