2020 Pandemic COVID-19 HOPE and What We Took for Granted

Well, today is Friday, March 27, 2020. I am actually not sure how long this has been going on, but it is feeling more serious and I am more stressed and anxious as the days pass. I am trying not to let fear rule my actions, but I gotta tell you, sometimes I struggle. I don’t want to leave my house. For any reason. Not only am I in the #disposablegeneration (political and black humor here,) my house mate is older and diabetic, and has some heart issues. We can’t decide if we want to get sick now, while there are still beds and supplies, or wait for the miracle cure.

Where I’ve been: pharmacy drive through, dr. appointment via telephone, Farm and Fleet drive through order pick-up, WallyWorld: order online- pick up in lot. Getting ready to head out to Crystal Lake for our first grocery run in a week. Which is weird, since I try to avoid shopping. I usually buy two weeks’ worth of food at a time and we also used to eat out a couple times a week. The grocery items I choose are often sold out or out of stock.

What I do to try and stay calm and “keep busy?”
• I take walks with my dogs.
• I brush my horses. No riding, but grooming is very calming.
• I clean out closets and drawers and shelves with the goal of decluttering at least one a day! Speaking of decluttering, for as often as I’ve begun this project, these unprecedented times really pinpoint an issue. “WHY THE HELL am I keeping all this crap?”
• I began meditating a few months ago and I am glad. I meditate at least once a day. Usually twice. One is an unguided meditation and the other is a guided meditation.
• I absolutely recommend the Monterey Bay Aquarium Facebook page and website. They have guided “meditoceans” as they call them, and long peaceful videos. I promise you will find something serene there.
https://www.facebook.com/montereybayaquarium/
• I work on writing projects and yard projects and barn projects and household projects.
• I started a Virtual Book Club with my nearest and dearest, so of course, I must read daily.

Will it give you comfort to realize that you are not alone? Whatever you are feeling, whatever emotion or stress or anger or pain that you are experiencing right now, I promise there are many other humans in THE WORLD who are experiencing it with you. For some reason, this gives me comfort.

But what I really want to know right now is this: what did you take for granted? What part of your marvelous, unique, special, busy, hectic and amazing life of day-to-day activities, did you take for granted? What part of that will be forever changed?

I am not naïve enough to think that this will be over soon. I am reading news reports for legitimate sources and know better. I will admit that a part of me hopes daily for a miracle. That we will all wake up and learn that a cure has been discovered. A vaccine. A successful treatment. I guess that is what HOPE is for me. There is the hope that ALL the people in my world stay healthy, and I know I am not alone in this hope. I have hope that our world recovers and we will ALL be better; our world will be a better place.
So, let us wait, and wash our hands, and pray if you wish to, and stay home as we socially distance ourselves. And let us not lose HOPE.

In closing, a haiku:

Head aches, heart breaks, scared!
Breathe, breathe, you are not alone.
Find Spring buds and hope —