A Defining Moment of Our Adulthoods

One of my goals for the New Year was to write a blog every month. Sometimes it’s super easy to write one, I think about what has been happening in my life, something I’m learning, and turn it into something I want to share. Sometimes it’s about a big moment that has happened, you know those “Aha!” moments. Sometimes it’s more personal, or more spiritual. Sometimes it’s something that I’m terribly scared to share. Sometimes it’s something that I know I need to as well.

This blog has been thought about, tossed around in my mind, started to be written, stopped, deleted, continued, copied, pasted, deleted once more, and tried again about 4 times in the past month. Part of me has wanted to share more and more about my new job and the incredible work that I am blessed enough to be apart of!

Part of me has wanted to share what my new living situation is like and the fun adventures that are going on! Part of me has wanted to share what it’s like trying to get into a new routine with my roommates, a new job, and all the things.

Part of me has wanted to share my thoughts on COVID-19.

Part of me has been staring at this blank webpage trying to decide just what should be shared and pondering what may resonate with some many of you.

And then it hit me, just like it always does.

The times that we are currently facing are strange, uncertain, and by golly, just plain odd. I still can’t wrap my mind around why a respiratory virus has lead to a shortage of toilet paper. I can’t wrap my mind around why people think it is suddenly ok to flush clorox wipes and paper towels. I can’t wrap my mind around why some people think this is the end of the world and are buying up ammunition. I can’t wrap my mind around why so many people are hoarding enough food to feed ten other families.

I can wrap my mind around the goodness that is going on. The kind souls who are checking in on their elderly neighbors and asking what they can go and get them. I can wrap my mind around those that are planning online workouts, online dance parties, online concerts. I can wrap my mind around those that are making these hilarious videos to bring us all joy during these times.

scavenger hunts with the family over zoom!

I can wrap my mind around the creativity that is being sparked in all of us from how we schedule our days to how we include loved ones in special moments to how we entertain our littles. I can wrap my mind around how so many of us are choosing to log off of social media for longer and longer periods. I can wrap my mind around how so many of us are choosing to focus on our physical well being right now. I can wrap my mind around how we are all working on being better friends during all of this, calling one another, texting, checking-in, offering to bring anything over, waving through windows.

There is so much goodness happening right now in the world. There is so much happiness happening right now in the world. I know it can be overwhelming when we look at the situation as a whole; when our minds begin to wander into the “what ifs” of all of this and “what may happen” but if we can continue to look for the goodness, and do the good, I am certain we are all going to come out of this stronger.

I was chatting with my roommates about this the other day and we thought of 9/11. 9/11 for us was the defining moment of our childhoods, and for our parents it was a defining moment of their adulthoods. Now, COVID-19 is a defining moment of our adulthoods.

Before 9/11 New Yorkers were considered rude and selfish (sorry to all my NY friends! I remember my parents sharing these stories!) After 9/11, people starting holding the door open for one another, looking one another in the eye as they passed each other on the street and saying “Hi”. It sounds like such a minor change, but what if that were to happen to us?

Having a chess game set up during the day while Abby & I are working from home!

What if after all of this is over, we go back to the basics and remember what truly matters for us? What if we continue to treat people with kindness? What if we actually said “Thank you” to the grocery store clerks who restock the shelves, not just during a pandemic? What if we actually waved at our neighbors and had weekly get togethers while practicing social distancing or not? What if we continued to have “no screen time” and spent it working our creative muscles with scavenger hunts, board games, and painting projects? What if we continue to call our loved ones and check in, not just because it’s someone’s birthday or a holiday, but because we actually want to know how they are doing? What if we took all these beautiful and amazing moments and ideas that we are currently implementing into our daily life and continued them?

I truly believe that we will come out of this stronger. I truly believe we will come out of this as more compassionate, more empathetic, more human. I truly believe that the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 will lead to a hundred more funny memes and jokes and a thousand more beautiful moments of humanity and love.

This is what I am holding onto during this time. This is what I reminding myself when it all gets a little crazy and a little uncertain. I hope and pray that this brings you just a wee bit of comfort during this time too.