"After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple, little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."
As for so many others, the last six weeks of lockdown have been full of a range of emotions: anxiety, gratitude, fear, hope, grief, acceptance. COVID-19 has turned life on its head and I find myself wondering: will things really return to “normal”? But more than that, do I really want them to?
As the month of April comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on what the coronavirus lockdown has taught me, and how I’m actually grateful for it.
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I’m learning to be resourceful with what I already have.
With both brick and mortar and online stores being closed, backlogged, or out of stock on so many items, I began to consider all I’d already been blessed with and how I could make it work for what I needed. Along with that, I began to use the lockdown as an opportunity to learn new things and achieve “someday” goals. So I used what I already had to: expand my garden. Build a compost bin. Make my own hummus and homemade crackers. Sew face masks. Preserve more farm-fresh produce. Make my own pizza dough, and more. Whereas before I’d be quicker to buy something, the lockdown made me realize I often didn’t need more. I just needed to get creative and look for possibilities in what I already had.
I’m learning to let others share with me.
Like many people, through technology I actually kept in touch more with friends and family than I did before the outbreak. We were looking in on each other more regularly, and also looking out for each other. It’s not that we were unwilling to share or offer help before, it’s that we were so used to taking care of ourselves in our independent culture that we were much less likely to raise a hand when someone said, “Do you need anything?” As a result, this time of isolation actually has had a way of building community and strengthening relationships even though we were maintaining them at a distance.
I’m learning how important a day of rest really is.
For a while my husband and I have been setting aside Sundays as a day of rest. For us this looks like not doing any work (paid or unpaid) on Sunday, but just relaxing and replenishing ourselves. But during this season of mental and emotional stress and exhaustion, we realized how truly important it was to take one day a week to unplug, pull away from the news and demands of life, and just be.
I’m learning to be intentional about celebrating the little things.
When you’re on lockdown 24-7, every day starts to look the same, so my husband and I incorporated some practices that helped us break up our weeks and have things to look forward to. One of them was gathering over video chat with family to celebrate some goofy and obscure holidays, like Peanut Butter & Jelly Day and Silly Hat Day. But my personal favorite is how we brainstormed simple, at-home date ideas, wrote them on pieces of paper, and threw them in a jar so we could pick one at random to plan for the upcoming week. Again, it helped us to remember that we don’t have to do something extravagant, or even necessarily leave the house, to celebrate life and the gifts we’ve been given.
I’m learning that I enjoy living at a slower pace.
There are a lot of things I am missing while being on lockdown, such as visiting loved ones, traveling, visiting local parks, and even going to restaurants. But one thing I have not missed is all of the running around we would typically do in the course of a week. I’ve come to realize there are many things we feel obligated to do that aren’t actually necessary, and we can say no to them. I’ve also learned that it’s entirely possible to run fewer errands and go grocery shopping once every 4-6 weeks if I plan well. (Convenience can make me lazy!)
There is no doubt that sheltering in place has been hard, but I’m also really grateful for what it’s been teaching me about the changes that were needed in my life. Most of these things come down to simplifying the way I was living, and embracing the many gifts I’ve already been given instead of thinking I need more. After being forced to let go of so much, I realize that I can make different decisions moving forward, and if I have the courage to persist in them, they will ultimately leave me happier and more fulfilled.