My home is my favorite place to be in the whole world. So while it isn’t pleasant to be ordered to stay in, I am grateful – so grateful – that I have a home to stay inside of. My home isn’t big – under 2500 square feet. But I have everything I need. Air conditioning, TVs in every room, plenty of food in the refrigerator, and ample space for the 4 of us to either congregate together or find some peace and quiet apart. I read so many memes and stories of people becoming either anxious or bored or angry about this situation. It is funny. I don’t want to sound like I’m somehow morally superior or anything. I identify with them, of course. Two days have gone by that the sun hasn’t seen me once. That will definitely need to change. I can feel my mood being affected by that. While it’s funny to joke about families becoming stir crazy during this time and missing the outside world, I just wanted to share my thoughts about it.
I started this year with a word. Grateful. I can’t say that I have a word for every year or anything, but there’s something about starting a new year and reflecting on the past and future. When we entered 2020, grateful was the word that kept coming into my mind – even waking up thinking it. I want to be grateful for the things I have had, the things I have done, and all the things that will be. The people in my life. The people who will come into my life. Grateful. To me, it’s appreciating and recognizing the blessings I’ve already received and expectant for the future.
A few years ago, the word that defined my outlook on life was perspective. My family had experienced a lot of life changes in a short period of time. And I have to say, perspective seemed an odd way of reconciling it. But as I worked it over in my mind, it took on a more powerful meaning. I might share the emotional things surrounding that time – both bliss and tragedy – in a later post, so I’m just leaving this here as a mental bookmark for me.
It’s Monday. Back to work. I am grateful to be in my home. I am grateful to have a job that allows me to work from home. So many people are / will be severely impacted by the isolating impacts of the pandemic. So a healthy dose of ‘perspective’ seems fitting as well. Nobody I know has contracted Coronavirus.
I am grateful.