Quarantine is ending and many of us are rushing back into socialization with open arms ready to hug loved ones and although I am looking forward to doing the same, something keeps bringing me back to the day I returned from Peace Corps. My boyfriend (now husband) picked me up from Logan Airport with the biggest smile. I also remember regretting my decision to go without socks despite it almost being summer (typical New England weather). But, what I remember most was sitting in the passenger seat watching people rush across the streets of Boston.
Honestly, I felt a little anxious – I had gotten use to a slower more present way of living that the Boston rush kind of scared me. It was only a matter of time I would be a moving piece in the picture. I still managed to take some really cool takeaways from my time in Belize. What will my quarantine takeaway be?
QUARANTINE
Covid19 sparked an unprecedented quarantine. We were all forced to slow down and be present with our families. We had to learn new ways to connect with friends and extended family. Grandparents learned to FaceTime and our kids experienced graduations, birthdays and playdates via car drive-by and Zoom meetings/parties.
My instagram feed (@mommy_dandelion) was overflowing with moms doing activities with their kids and sharing amazing home projects. But – I kind of felt like I was in survival mode. Like many Americans I needed to keep working full time but I was part of the few that was actually able to do so. My coworkers all had their hours cut and that left me feeling kind of guilty. I forfeited a raise and worked hard to bring in new accounts in hopes that no more hours would be cut. After work I was homeschooling my kids- It seemed as if I was constantly going nonstop. But there were times when I enjoyed the good that came from being quarantined.
WHEN I LOOK BACK ON QUARANTINE…
Let me begin by saying that I am not romanticizing Covid19 and the world we are now inhabiting. It is nothing short of traumatic. People have lost their jobs, small businesses have had to close their doors forever and people are still struggling worldwide to provide for their family. It has been tough but even in those uncertain times in quarantine there were moments of good. There were days when joy prevailed. Once again, I am not romanticizing the Covid19 quarantine but clinging hard to the silver lining that exist beneath the surface of tough times. Here is my silver lining…
I hope that I remember walks after work with my husband and kids, movie nights that stretched beyond Friday nights (because who really knew what day of the week it was), homemade pretzels we perfected as a family (click here for recipe) and truck rides with no destination in mind until the kids fell asleep in the backseat. I hope I remember the beauty of being connected to those around us through our devices. We called intentionally. We text messaged more personally. Social platforms were actually allowing us to be social with the ones we love the most. From my parents learning to use FaceTime to the infamous amounts of zoom meetings with friends. I don’t think I would have survived as well as I did if we were totally isolated.
It’s Been One Heck of a Ride…
It’s actually been a rollercoaster, it’s been filled with high highs and lower lows. Whether you were the mama doing great things with your kids, completing home projects or just surviving and keeping the kids alive…it’s safe to say we will always remember navigating this pandemic in isolation. So I challenge you today, while we still have a little time before getting lost in the rush, to ask yourself: what do I hope to remember about all of this?
2 thoughts on “My Quarantine Takeaway…”