The fast-moving events of the past several weeks involving coronavirus (COVID-19) have left us all shaken in one way or another. We’re leaning hard on faith and family (virtually, of course, with extended family).
If you’re like me, your mind is also full of questions you don’t know the answers to.
Will we have jobs?
What should we buy to feed our families?
Is my cough coronavirus?
Why is the store out of all flour and do the people buying it actually know how to make bread?
How are we going to keep up with our children’s education?
Heck, for some of us, how are we going to thrive working from home, schooling from home, and figuring out our new normal?
There is more fear than calm and more questions than answers. As I write this, our school just canceled until April 12. My husband and kids are playing Uno on the floor while laughter fills our house.
None of us know what is ahead or how this will impact our lives. It’ll be hard. It’ll be scary.
We have a choice to make – adjust and prepare for the future or lament the past.
My husband’s director is a leader I’ve always admired and he sent an email to staff that had this quote from Wayne Gretzky, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”
If I lose my job? We’ll make small changes now to prepare for ‘just in case’ and big changes in the future if we need to.
What should I buy to feed my family? The basics for a couple weeks and learn to use our deep freezer wisely.
Is my cough coronavirus? Probably not but it’s extremely important to practice all the things the CDC is telling us to do when it comes to staying healthy and preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Why is the store out of all flour and do the people buying it actually know how to make bread? No, I am convinced they do not know how to make bread with all that flour.
How are we going to keep up with our children’s education? I could never compare to my kids’ teachers – but, there will be some simple things we can do at home that are educational, give us some structure and help occupy their time. Will it be perfect? No, but it’ll be something.
How are we going to thrive working from home, schooling from home, and figuring out our new normal? I don’t know, but I know we can.
If our nation can put down everything that divides us and work together to move forward like we’ve done so many times in history, we’ll be okay.
The women before us lived through wars, depressions, recessions, and pandemics at times when they were really isolated. They didn’t have computers and phones to keep them connected. They didn’t even have tennis shoes, sports bras, leggings, and earbuds to go for a run when they needed a break.
None of us know what’s next. But, if we focus on our faith, our families and yes, even the hope of football returning – we will adjust to our new normal and become a lot stronger along the way.
Take a breath, channel your inner great-grandma and lean into the next few weeks. I believe in us.
