I know... You are used to seeing adventures, travel pics and all sorts of stuff that doesn't take place INSIDE my home, when I post here.
Brace yourselves! This is a new type of adventure. I'm learning live life to the fullest from my sofa for the foreseeable future. It has taken a while to tear myself away from 24/7 CoronaNews and social media posts, but holy moly, now that I have, there is brain space to think, to learn and to embrace the new normal.
I'll start by giving thanks to my parents - incredible role models. And state categorically that I am grateful for how I was raised.
Firstly, they taught us cooking from scratch and always had a pantry that was stocked with "the basics" like flour, sugar, onions, potatoes, rice, pasta tinned tomatoes etc. They made their own jam and chutneys, bottled fruit and froze vegetables. They lead by example. Perhaps never realizing the gift they were bestowing on us. (I'm fairly sure it took me a good 35 years to realize!)
Secondly, we were taught to never spend ALL your money. No matter how much you earned or didn't earn, you spent a little less and kept some aside for when earning was harder or spending jumped up.
My pantry is stocked and the bank account is not in distress. I'm also healthy. Hallelujah!
I know not everyone can say that.
There are plenty of people out there for whom loss of work - or even reduced work - is financial hardship from the get-go. That means when the rest of us went to Costco and bought more than the normal amount of food, preparing to stay home for 2-3 weeks minimum, some didn't have the money to do that. The struggle is real. The challenge to feed and pay rent/mortgage is huge. When schools close and children are sent home, how does one go about working (if job still exists) and maintaining childcare 24/7? What does Corona-fear feel like if you are older, immune-compromised, have underlying conditions? I don't know. I can't wrap my head around any of this, if I'm being honest.
Today I online ordered some coloring books and had them delivered to friends kids. I don't know what else to do and OMG, it feels like a very feeble attempt to help!
Then I realized that rather that feeling guilty for what I have, or for what I cannot do to help, or feeling scared for what might happen in the near future, I need to make a conscious choice to use my time at home more wisely and kindly.
I'm deciding to be grateful and happy and content with this new (temporary) life on my 0.16 acre of Boulder first-world goodness.
Brace yourselves! This is a new type of adventure. I'm learning live life to the fullest from my sofa for the foreseeable future. It has taken a while to tear myself away from 24/7 CoronaNews and social media posts, but holy moly, now that I have, there is brain space to think, to learn and to embrace the new normal.
I'll start by giving thanks to my parents - incredible role models. And state categorically that I am grateful for how I was raised.
Firstly, they taught us cooking from scratch and always had a pantry that was stocked with "the basics" like flour, sugar, onions, potatoes, rice, pasta tinned tomatoes etc. They made their own jam and chutneys, bottled fruit and froze vegetables. They lead by example. Perhaps never realizing the gift they were bestowing on us. (I'm fairly sure it took me a good 35 years to realize!)
Secondly, we were taught to never spend ALL your money. No matter how much you earned or didn't earn, you spent a little less and kept some aside for when earning was harder or spending jumped up.
My pantry is stocked and the bank account is not in distress. I'm also healthy. Hallelujah!
I know not everyone can say that.
There are plenty of people out there for whom loss of work - or even reduced work - is financial hardship from the get-go. That means when the rest of us went to Costco and bought more than the normal amount of food, preparing to stay home for 2-3 weeks minimum, some didn't have the money to do that. The struggle is real. The challenge to feed and pay rent/mortgage is huge. When schools close and children are sent home, how does one go about working (if job still exists) and maintaining childcare 24/7? What does Corona-fear feel like if you are older, immune-compromised, have underlying conditions? I don't know. I can't wrap my head around any of this, if I'm being honest.
Today I online ordered some coloring books and had them delivered to friends kids. I don't know what else to do and OMG, it feels like a very feeble attempt to help!
Then I realized that rather that feeling guilty for what I have, or for what I cannot do to help, or feeling scared for what might happen in the near future, I need to make a conscious choice to use my time at home more wisely and kindly.
I'm deciding to be grateful and happy and content with this new (temporary) life on my 0.16 acre of Boulder first-world goodness.
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