Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Ann Wheeler
Go
Sometimes we fail to see all that we have right in front of us and I am grateful for this opportunity to take stock in all I have and appreciate my home, my family and my community.
We have all been doing a lot less “going” these days and a lot more staying. Staying home, trying to stay safe, trying to stay healthy. A few months ago, it felt like we were always on the go. Going to work, to school, to the store, to church, to dinner. These past three months have been a real challenge with life coming to a standstill. I’ll be honest, somedays have been really hard.
My family of four, including two college aged sons had to do some serious adjusting when the stay at home order was declared by our governor. In some ways the abrupt change to our lifestyle, while unwelcome at times, has forced us to slow down and enjoy the simpler things. We have explored some new interests in cooking, gardening and golf. We have had many family meals together – some better than others, depending on the chef. At times we have resented the forced together time, but as the weeks ticked by, I started to look through a different lens and have been appreciating the time with my family.
In the past few months, our focus has been more inward, and our decisions to leave the house have been more thoughtful. We are enjoying walking the dog in the woods, puttering in the yard and physically distanced visits with my aging parents. We, like many others planted vegetables this year. Simple everyday activities now seem more exciting.
To go somewhere has taken on new meaning. While I am anxious to go places again, I’ve grown to really appreciate all that we have been blessed with that we have often taken for granted, a roof over our head, plenty of food to eat, a safe place to work and grow. In the push to go back to normal, I’m finding myself enjoying staying put, a bit hesitant to rush out of our safe bubble at home. Sometimes we fail to see all that we have right in front of us and I am grateful for this opportunity to take stock in all I have and appreciate my home, my family and my community. My garden has never looked better!
