As COVID 2.0 threatens to disrupt, preserve the peace and uphold the sanity.
I am saddened and so disappointed to be in this spot yet again, but I feel the writing is already on the wall for what the days, weeks, and months ahead may become. I want to be optimistic, but we’ve been here before. I need to take care of my family. I also need to take care of me.
In the soon approaching future, I will be sending my 1st grader to school. There’s so much to do – school uniforms, meal planning, grocery shopping, caring for the babies, working in the office and from home, and pondering whether we have enough masks or milk and whether I remembered to put the hand sanitizer in the backpack.
Can we afford a vacation this year? If so, where will we go? What if they’re on lockdown? Are the tickets refundable?
This season of life may be a steady stream of the expected and business as usual. Or it could be on the verge of driving me into the ground. Either way, I feel like I’m in a better place to face it, but it won’t be easy. On any given day, I’ll have about a dozen unfamiliar hurdles to jump and another half dozen nerve-wracking decisions to make.
Let’s all try to take this in stride while being mindful to do a few things differently to preserve the peace and help to uphold the sanity for all (or what’s left of it):
- We promise not to disconnect from friends and family even if circumstances mean we won’t be getting together in person. We’ll plan safe playdates, travel, and family gatherings when we can.
- We’ll do non-mom things like catching the occasional child-free lunch with a friend on a sunny patio somewhere.
- We’re gonna dress up and let the yoga pants chill for a bit. We’ll wear makeup or jewelry or fancy undies or whatever it is that supplies our fem magic. We will be fierce, even if there’s nowhere spectacular to go.
- We will NOT deny ourselves the comfort of human touch and connection. Even if we have to do it with a mask on, we’ll hug tightly and allow ourselves to be hugged. Let’s indulge those we love because we don’t know when the opportunity will present itself again.
- We’ll celebrate ALL the things even if we have to do them a bit differently. We won’t allow another birthday, anniversary, milestone, or big moment to pass us by because we can’t see past the obstacles. Those challenges present an opportunity for us to be creative and create — we will! — with love, a gracious spirit, and the help of Google!
- We’ll employ those we trust to ask us how we are doing on the regular, and we will tell the truth about it.
- We will lean into love and disregard all things negative, stifling, and discouraging. We’ll purpose to love hard and be a light where we can.
- We will not neglect ourselves. This is not a drill, and there’s no time for ashy knees, neglected feet, or oily skin. We’ll find time to moisturize and exfoliate. We will take long baths or showers and put everyone on notice for our ‘Do Not Disturb’ moments.
- We will eat chocolate. We’ll have wine, and we’ll exercise. We’ll give ourselves credit for lifting 15-pound babies and doing cardio around the playground.
- We’ll turn off the news and laugh at life. We will refrain from arguing with people on social media. Why? Because we have to in order to sleep a full night’s rest and be able to do it all again tomorrow.
Take care of you so that you can continue to take care of them.
