What Comes With Us

Once I acclimated to the idea that this was the new normal, it got easier.  I was able to free up more space in my thoughts for the other things I was actively working towards before this happened.  To reorient and evaluate my goals and look towards what I can do, instead of what I can't.

 

It's quiet here.  It's so quiet I can hear my knees creak when I walk down the stairs.  The water is softened, so for the first week I felt like there was always soap on my hands.  Clocks tick and chime as reminders to get on conference calls and virtual meetings.   The dog snores in front of the fireplace.  They have counter space and a normal sized refrigerator.  Birds chirp in the yard and one even built a nest.    My screen time has gone up exponentially.  I brought a few bags with me and have learned that I can live with a lot less.  I'm playing the piano again.  I made bread.  I made everything. 

 

I got to thinking.  Now that I have time to consider, I wonder what I'll decide to allow back into my life as it opens up again, which it hopefully will do.  

 

As I made the list, it was interesting to me that it consisted less of places to go, things to buy and restaurants to visit.  Though I will be getting a massage immediately.  More, it included ideas and feelings and priorities.  It's more a way of being - a new perspective I hope I can carry forward.  An intention to not just release this global pause button and go back to behaviors that don't need to be there.  Thinking about this, I'm re-realizing that of course it's the little, profound and simple things that matter most.  I'm reminded that this time and what we do next can be a real opportunity, if we want it to be.  

 

This time is a real forced "time out", but actually, the more I thought about it, we could do this at any time on our own.  Do we really need tragedy to be our reminder?  Can we find a way to remind ourselves daily, in ways that help us connect with these precious realizations on the regular?  I think we can.  I hope we do.  I will be. 

 

What will you bring with you?