Breaking the Patterns

It’s the end of Week 7 of this #quarantinelife, and there’s a subtle shift as “Phase 1” of opening up starts. The beginning stages of getting back to normal — a long, slow process of figuring out what will likely not be our old normal, but rather a “new normal.” There are certainly some things about “normal” that I’m ready for — like being able to go to church, go to the gym, go to work, go to the beach, get my hair and nails done, take my kids to parks and playgrounds, get together with friends, eat out at restaurants.

But these last few weeks have exposed some areas of normal that maybe shouldn’t be.

Before March, “normal” was rushing from project to project. It was never resting. It was late nights and early mornings. It was a jam-packed schedule of meetings and appointments. It was To-Do lists that never got done. It was Saturdays and Sundays focused on being productive. It was swinging through a drive-thru for last-minute dinner plans because I was too busy to grocery shop. It was skipping the gym because I got tied up at work. It was unreturned emails, texts and calls because I couldn’t slow down or focus long enough to respond.

Since mid-March, it has been slow mornings on the back porch. It has been a balance of work and play. It has been laying in the backyard while my kids play on the water slide. It has been daily runs, long walks with friends, movie nights with the family, reading fiction. I still have a To-Do list, and I still don’t accomplish everything on it in a day, but it’s not driving me. I still have more projects than I can accomplish in the time I wish I could, but I don’t care as much if they take me longer.

We probably all have some patterns that we need to break. Some relationships that need to be put aside. Some things that need less of our attention so that we can focus on what’s most important.

It will take courage to make the changes as we crave our return to normal. But it will be worth it.🧡