Nothing could have prepared us for the current situation, at least not entirely. We are indeed sailing into unknown waters. Our isolation may stretch into weeks or months. We don’t know where we’ll land, but land we will. Will there be dragons? Milk and honey? A radical new land? Home Port?
We loath the unknown, but we hope we’ll land in a better place; we fear the dangers all around us as we go. In the meantime we cope. As we begin Week Three, here are some things that are working for us and few that are not. Working:
- Prayer. First thing in the morning and often. We begin with Pope Francis saying Mass at Casa Santa Marta
- Music. It turns out both Beloved and I find it soothing. If fills the soul, and blocks out all the negative noise of the Internet and television.
- Video. Reaching out to family and friends is critical to making it through this. Calls weren’t enough. Video chats are better. Actually seeing people we love matters.
- Humor. Nothing heals like laughter, but we have to be careful. TP jokes wore thin days ago.
- A schedule
- Delivery. Add the truck drivers, grocery deliverers, fedex, ups and LETTER CARRIERS to your list of heroes. The mails are still going through.
- Staying busy. More about writing later, but baking, cleaning, and hobbies work. And puzzles. Don’t forget puzzles.
Working with some tweaks:
- Walks–they work as long as they focus on joy, nature, and folks, but not when they present an opportunity to survey work that needs done that we have no way to hire someone to do.
- Honesty–sounds easy right? It is also easy to project anxiety on to someone else instead of just talking about it.
- Writing. It works once my emotions are deep into the story. Some days I’m managing 1500-2000 words. On days I can’t let go and just write, I read. Tracy Grant and Grace Burrowes and I have become very good friends this week. Restored, I get back at it.
The music is on, and my door is open, not closed, so Beloved can come in and work on his puzzle. It turns out his quiet nearness helps. I’m back at it. But first coffee.
