Long time no see, Have Dog Will Drive. I don’t think I’ve ever abandoned my blog for this long before, but I haven’t been myself.
Has anyone?
Ugh. Deep breath. I’m feeling pretty good today, but the last two weeks have been the most surreal of my entire life. Part of what makes them the most surreal is that most other people around me would say the same thing. How often is it that EVERYONE is going through something hard together? Going through a period of grieving and loss is often a solitary process. Now, I think we’re all grieving the loss of what normal life looked like a month ago. It’s powerful and comforting to be going through it with my whole city, state, country, and planet (some of whom started this a bit earlier). But it is also disorienting in a way to be sad and hopeless at times, yet simultaneously feel heartbreak over the fact that others have it so much harder.
Grace and I have certainly felt overwhelming gratitude for so many things in the past couple of weeks that we’ve been in self-isolation to protect ourselves and others from the spread of this horrible virus. But I’ve also cried, worried endlessly on the phone to loved ones, and in the first few days of reality setting in, found myself shivering uncontrollably by the end of each day.
Two weeks in, I’m adjusting. I don’t want to call it a “new normal,” even though in many ways the daily life I took as “normal” is now over. Possibly forever, in some respects. You also won’t find me ever referring to this as the “apocalypse” or the “end of the world.” I don’t think those things are true or worth catastrophizing about, but it is a scary time.
At the end of February, I set a few goals for the month of March. I had every intention of blogging them. Then my mom and sister came to California and we took a girls’ trip to Paso Robles. The day after they left, Grace and I started quarantining. I don’t even remember what those goals were at this point, and I don’t think many of them are still applicable to my life.
But believe it or not, I still think setting some goals is worth doing. Actually, they might be the thing that keeps me level-headed and grounded during this time. March feels out-the-window, but I’ll be back in a few days to blog my goals for April. In the meantime, here are a few overarching things I want to keep in mind as goals during this quarantine:
Keep blogging. More than usual!
Keep the house our happy little nest, our sanctuary, as much as possible. There’s never been a better time to be into homemaking.
Once the dust is feeling like it’s settling and I’m “used” to life in quarantine, return to creative pursuits. Other than this little blog post, I’m not quite there yet, but I look forward to having more time, eventually.
Write down how I’m feeling often.
Pray for the people most affected.
I think this is going to be a season of simple, humble, goals, and I think that’s a good thing. I’ll never call this virus a “blessing in disguise” or act like it’s not as terrifying as it is. But I will keep going in every way I can, and keep laughing and finding joy in each day.
If you need to talk to someone during this time, you can always contact me through this blog or on Instagram.
Sending love & wishes for good health.