Finding the Silver Lining in COVID-19
The last few months have been difficult for so many people. Some have been furloughed or let go, others are struggling to work from home while kids and spouses are also at home. Meanwhile, we can’t even get out to our favorite coffee shops because they’re shut down. Vacations have been cancelled, play dates put off and graduations rescheduled–or scrapped entirely.
Life just doesn’t look the same at all.
My heart goes out to all the friends, family and loved ones who have been impacted by COVID-19–whether directly or indirectly. Arizona hasn’t been as hard-hit as other areas but social media posts have hit me in the gut.
Without minimizing the pain so many of us are going through, I want to offer another side. With nearly everything shut down or cancelled, there’s a silver lining I hope we can all take from this experience.
The big positive we can take from these last few months is TIME. Though it might feel like you have less time to do what needs to be done because you’re navigating work and kids and other interruptions at the same time, if you take a good look I think you’ll realize you have more time than ever.
Hear me out.
If you’re working from home, you don’t have to worry about commuting to and from work. With school cancelled, you’re no longer carpooling to and from school. And since all kids’ activities are off, there’s no sports practices or games to get to.
And all of that gives you more time. We’re eating out less, doing less laundry and attending fewer meetings. In my house, that means more quality time.
- Family dinners
- Outdoor family games
- Movie night on the couch
- Kids sleeping in (more ME time)
- Family walks or walks with just me and Jeff
- Checking in on friends on the phone or FaceTime
- Finding new ways to celebrate special occasions
- Projects (finally) getting done around the house
- More time with neighbors (at a distance) during neighborhood walks
Not only that, but the kids have learned new tech skills, mastering Zoom quickly. And the teenagers have even been asking to do things as a family (that right there is a huge win!).
Yes, the economy is hurting. People are sick and dying. Life doesn’t feel normal at all. But maybe this is the universe’s way of asking us to slow down a bit and get back to what matters most–family and loved ones.
