I hope this post finds you well. I’m still over here trying to balance our new normal.

I feel very blessed because there have been so many positives for me coming out of a scary situation. I don’t consider myself a Suzy Sunshine type of person, but I do like to focus on the silver linings. Maybe I’m a Suzy Sunshine with a dark sense of humor who is always pleasantly surprised when things actually do work out. 

Either way here’s the positives I’ve noticed this week: 

Patience

I went to the grocery store for my now once weekly outing. There were lines. But instead of people getting upset, people stood apart from each other on the tape spots on the floor. They calmly waited while the grocery store clerks wiped the whole belt and credit card machine. I hope these virtues of patience and cleanliness stick around long after this pandemic comes and goes.

 Conversation

This one probably may strike you as odd. I’ve been on the phone more this past week than I can remember, the overwhelming majority of it using FaceTime, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. The Screen Time report on my iPhone has indicated that my usage is up 7% from last week, which was already up a staggering 14% the week earlier. Just like patience, I think this connection is what a lot of us have been missing. I hope we remember this when we head back into the office.

Creativity

You knew we were heading here. I like to knit and know several accomplished women and men who sew. This past week my social media feeds have filled with fabric masks on Singer sewing machines. I haven’t had much luck on the knitting pattern yet, but for a good reason. Camp NaNoWriMo, which I’ve written about before here, has officially kicked off with their #writeathome campaign. I don’t want to jinx myself *knocks on wood*, but this has been the best writing streak I’ve ever had, clocking in at just under 10,000 words in only five days. There’s a lot of factors here that we could cite for this change, but this past week was actually really stressful, so I’ll take the win, and keep my fingers on the keyboard. 

Outdoor time

I don’t mean the parks and beaches, which in Virginia where I live have now closed except for exercise. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love to garden. I’m delighted to hear of my friends planting new beds as a way to get outside and focus on something productive they can control. More of us are going on hikes while social distancing. I’ve had a cup of coffee on a patio with a friend, albeit six feet away, and flown a kite for the first time in decades. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world with more gardens and more kites? I know I do.

I hope you all stay healthy and well. And maybe if you have a kite in the dusty corners of the garage, give it a try. I’ve included a video below, but be warned it’s not very long. What can I say? It’s been two decades.

Kathryn