The Bright Side of this Pandemic

I have yet to fully grasp how our lives have changed overnight due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It feels surreal as if I’ve woken up in an alternate universe with a whole new set of rules.

I certainly don’t welcome the death and major stresses this is causing our society.

But the ironic thing is that this new, quarantined reality doesn’t feel entirely wrong and has given me a fresh perspective of sound living.

It feels like a reset.

While I lay awake at night hoping this will all end soon, I also believe that this might be a lesson mother nature is giving us. A “time out” if you will, to focus on what truly matters.

Our pace of life before Covid-19 was a blur of non-stop activity, day in and day out, constantly running to keep up with a long “to do” list and the demands of my family and two very active boys.

I often felt like a hamster on a wheel, going so fast that I could never stop to fully breathe and enjoy the moment. We waited for weekends to slow down but that never really happened.

Leisure was always elusive.

Suddenly, our overly packed lifestyles stopped.

Just like that.

And it felt life-changing and like a huge breath of fresh air.

But really it’s more than just a breath of fresh air. It’s a whole new atmosphere and dynamic taking place.

The stress of doing things is gone.

We are allowed to stop and sit “idle,” if you will.

I no longer plan for tomorrow but simply live in today.

Like there is no tomorrow.

I’m taking immense pleasure in the things that “busyness” always keeps me from enjoying, for example:

• Reading, reading and more reading.
• Planning and cooking savory meals. Always a stress in the past.
• Practicing mindfulness and learning to live with less.
• Gazing out the window at the pouring rain and sitting motionless.
• Letting creativity flow through me and thinking out of the box.
• Actively staying healthy and doing things to boost our immune systems.
• Connecting with my husband and kids at home and with family from a distance via zoom.
• Stepping outside, in my yard, to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful skies.
• Having the opportunity to meditate and seek solace within me.
• Hearing my boys play without any pressures of having to leave soon for school, or practice, or piano lessons, etc.

These days I’m not worried about what I need to do next or what needs to happen in the context of daily living.

Life right now is no plan other than just to be.

Our brains are being rewired and as a result, we need to come out of this being more conscious of how we spend our time and how we live. As many of us Rocking Over 40 women enter our second phase of life, it’s never too late to change our ways and habits.

Eventually, we will all go back to our normal pace of living but I have no doubt that this pandemic will be a life-changing event that will divide our lives into a “before” and “after” and we will have all learned our lesson.

For now, I’m grateful for being given the opportunity to relish and appreciate the real joys of life.