In just a month our world has been flipped upside down by the coronavirus. The first couple weeks that my husband worked from home were rough.
The kids were loud while he was on the phone with his boss.
The baby was teething. The 3 year old didn’t understand why she couldn’t play with daddy all day.
I was depressed. The news weighed me down.
I let my healthy habits go.
I stopped working out. I stopped reading. I realize now that I was grieving.
It’s okay to miss your old life while understanding the need for a new one.
It’s okay to be sad you can’t visit your parents.
To be sad you have to cancel your daughter’s birthday party.
To be sad you can’t take the kids to the zoo or to the park. Or just to Target.
To be sad you don’t know if or when it will go back to the old normal.
It’s okay to be scared.
Scared of going out.
Scared of you, your kids or your family getting sick.
To be scared for your pregnant friends about to deliver.
The first couple weeks I grieved without knowing. I was sad. I was scared. And it’s okay.
It’s okay to let things go. To sit in your pajamas. To eat cookies.
It’s okay to let yourself process your new normal. To give yourself a break.
A few weeks into quarantine, I found I wanted to read. I wanted to workout. I wanted to teach and bake with my daughter. To chase my toddler. We video chatted with grandparents and friends. I began to feel better. I began to hope again.
Just going outside and feeling the sun on my face while drinking my coffee reminded me of what was important. Sitting outside and filling my lungs with fresh air was healing. Listening to my favorite singer brought a lightness back to my heart.
Getting back to a routine and the simple things helped me. It won’t always be like this. The world will shift again. We’ll be back to the playdates and seeing our friends.
This new normal won’t last forever. Nothing ever does. What we can take are the lessons. The things we found comfort in in an uncomfortable world. How we spent more time together. How we got through it together.
We will get through this and come out stronger and more grateful than before. Take a deep breath of fresh air and slow down. It won’t last forever.
Those first couple of weeks were pretty found around here as well. Everyone was bickering and stressed and learning to function with their dad around the house all day took us some time. Thankfully things have started to balance out and we are working on our new normal as well.wish you guys lots of luck and good health.
It’s definitely been tough for my family as well. Not as bad now, but definitely at first.