New Normal

Our dog has taken up a new hobby during this time! He loves going down the slide at the play structure!

Hello Friends,

What a year the last month as been!

I hope my message finds you well, or at least coping as best you can during this time of uncertainty.

My husband and I have been closely following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) statistics and news since some time in February. We had an overseas trip planned and were trying to determine if it would be safe for our family to travel.

In early March, it was becoming clear that we wouldn't be traveling. At that time, there were not any documented COVID-19 cases in Michigan. I still felt somewhat safe and isolated from the virus, all the while washing my hands obsessively. Things changed ever so quickly: the school closed one week, my husband's office the next, "the curve" for Michigan went up steeply.

That brings us to our new normal. We are staying home. I am attempting to continue my kids' education and keep some sort of routine. This leaves very little time to myself and virtually no free time, as I squeeze my other responsibilities into the margins. My husband works from his home office in the basement seven days a week. And we are avoiding going beyond the neighborhood as much as possible.

It's not easy and it's not so bad. We have plenty of things to be grateful for: the privilege to be able to work from home, a comfortable living space, abundant nature, updating our home wifi in January, deliveries to our home, enough food to eat and the list goes on and on. Most of all, I am thankful to be at home with my family in our current state of good health.

I have felt plenty anxious the last few weeks too. Now that we are settling in to this unfamiliar new normal, I am focusing on what I can control. I can keep our home clean and tidy, so it can be a haven from the craziness of the outside world. I can do my daily load of laundry. I can walk the dog and take the kids along every day. I can call my elderly mother daily to remind her to stay home. It feels a bit like "Groundhog Day" and this too shall pass.

I pray you all stay well. Please feel free to drop a note in the comments or send a reply via e-mail to share your new normal.

All my best,

Carolyn