Quarantine…who ever thought that would be a thing. Did you?

As the states are ‘opening up’ and I do more things and see more people, I wonder (usually to myself) if I will ever feel comfortable ‘in public’ again. Now, I am not a concert person or a football fan….but I do like to go to the movies. I do like to go out to do the occasional shopping. And I would like to go out to eat without bring lysol, wipes and my own cutlery. Do you do that too or is it just me?

Will I ever become comfortable again in a crowded restaurant, or wait in a tightly packed line, or hug everyone I know? Or, through time, will I gradually forget and just move on? How about you – what do you think you will feel or do?

As I think ahead to the future I realize that I do need to hold onto the past. I don’t mean HOLD ON. I mean….remember what it was like and figure out what I learned. If anything. Have you asked yourself ‘What have I learned during social distancing?’

Here are my top 10 ‘What I learned during Social Distancing aka Quarantine’

They do not ALL apply to me specifically. Some are insights that I have gleaned that I have never thought about….ever.

01. No job is sacred.

• No job can ever be taken for granted again. My neighbor is a recruiter for a NFL team (for years) and he told my husband that if colleges do not open in the fall he will have no one to recruit…hence no job. Did he ever think that would EVER happen? Nope. How about hair dressers or photographers or wedding venues or nail salons or restaurants…who would have thought!

02. Money needs to be saved.

• Because no job can be taken for granted we need to save more money. A minimum of 6 months of expenses. 9 months is best. How do you do that? Reduce your spending. I have a bunch of budget posts for you to take a look at!

03. Living with someone 24/7 is possible.

• It is possible to live with someone 24/7 (without another human to run interference) and not get into a million fights. I know that sounds weird but I wonder how true that is for most people. Living with someone without the distraction of going out to work, hanging with friends, going shopping can be hard for most people. PLUS add the kids home from school….tensions can be pretty high.

04. Some relationships need repaired.

• Some people (is this you?) need to shore up their relationships. The cracks have become very evident during quarantine and those cracks need repaired while the memory is still fresh. Because once you get out and about again, you will forget and shove it all under the carpet….again.

05. Family is best.

• My family is the most important thing to me. I did not miss anything except my family. Especially my kids. And as things have died down a bit I made an effort to see everyone…taking a few more precautions along the way. What or who do you miss the most?

  We actually had a few dinners via Zoom calls. Such a fun way to get together.

06. Content to be home.

• I am content to work on my blog, website and hang in my craft room. I really don’t need to go out or talk on the phone (except with my daughter, Nicole. We talked almost every day). That does not mean that I did not think about anyone. I sent over 300 cards in the past 4 months. I thought of everyone…see #10 below.

  Are you content to stay at home or are you chomping at the bit to GO OUT?

07. We need to get prepared.

• Preparation is key…in any area. You prepare to have a new baby. Prepare for a job interview. Prepare for a surgery. Prepare for retirement. Why not prepare for other things as well. I will definitely keep hand sanitizer, masks and toilet paper on hand in the future. I won’t run low. Kinda like always keeping 1/2 tank of gas in your car…just in case.

08. Fear is the enemy.

• Fear will rob you of your, well, everything. Fear chokes the life out of us and creates havoc on our emotions and decisions. Check out ‘Riding the Wave of Fear.’ Shifting your focus from fear to your creator will definitely still your heart and your emotions. Because, if God is for you, who can be against you?

09. Put others first.

• While I am navigating my OWN waters and thinking about me….I realize that I need to think of others just as much. Life is definitely NOT all about me. I wear a mask…for others. I don’t hug…for others. I clean and sanitize…for others. Others first…maybe a new motto.

10. My empathy is hard to hold.

• I asked my husband to stop telling me about all of the stores that are filing for bankruptcy. I really don’t want to know that malls are in danger, movie theaters will close and some small business owners are committing suicide.

  Or that some doctors are committing suicide because of all the death around them. I don’t want to know that domestic violence is at an ALL time high. That child abuse is probably just as high…only no one knows for sure because kids aren’t in school.

  My heart goes out to the kids who can’t eat because they aren’t in school. And what about charities that rely on donations…only with so many people out of work they can’t donate. Or organizations, who normally have fund raisers to offset costs, had to cancel those fund raisers due to quarantine.

  It’s not that I don’t care…that is not it at all. It is that my heart can only handle so much ache. My awareness is at an all time high…and I want to HANG ONTO that awareness. So that when I do get out and about I can help with making change. Maybe make sure those kids get fed. Maybe help charitable organizations figure out how to do virtual fund raisers. I don’t know. But I WILL figure it out.

So, what have you learned? Have you given it any thought? Do you need to have an emergency fund ready? Do you need to shore up relationships or tell someone you are sorry? What about your family and friends…need to contact them? Are you ready to lay down that fear and live life as it was intended – joyful and victorious?

Hang in there – we will definitely figure it out…together. If you need anything please let me know. As always, I am thinking about YOU.