It’s three minutes to midday.
I’m aware of several things:
My back is positively aching. My buttocks, too. I’ve been sitting on this dinky little wooden chair for too long, now.
I’m hungry. My stomach has been making unladylike noises for a while. (I think it’s saying “buuuurger. I want a buuuuuurger.)
It’s quiet. Too quiet.
All of the above reminds me of one thing: I’m at home.
Neither my back nor my posterior wouldn’t be protesting if I was squished into my office chair (ohhh, I miss my chair!) I can’t have the burger I’m craving, because I cannot dial The Fig Tree and ask for a Cheesy-Beef-Patty-on-a-Giant-Mushroom-with-Sweet-Potato-Fries…and, the quiet that suddenly overwhelms me is the absence of the cacophony of birds who call the SEEHOA office their home.
This has been my reality for the last six weeks. I’m sure it’s been yours, too.
Within a matter of months, we have found ourselves in the middle of a global health crisis and only God knows when we’ll see “the other side”. When we can “have our lives back”. When “all this” will be “over”.
There are so many things I miss, that I perhaps took for granted in the “normal”.
Seeing my family whenever I wanted – we live a few roads apart, and it’s been almost two months since I’ve held my parents and sister.
Attending church, and feeding my soul every Sunday.
My morning chats with the girls in the office.
Going to gym, and grabbing my favourite Choc-Nut Smoothie after Pilates.
DRIVING. Jeepers; I haven’t been behind the wheel of a car in SIX WEEKS!
I could go on: the point is, I don’t know when I’ll have all these “things” back.
I’ve just watched a livestream with the lovely Tes Jahnig: she does “Tea with Tes” every Wednesday. She said something that stuck with me: “focus on what’s really important. What is going to get you through to the other side stronger, and whole?”
This pandemic has wreaked havoc with our lives, our jobs, our livelihood, our mental states…nothing seems certain, and “normal” – whatever that may look like – seems unbearably far away.
I don’t know what life will look like by the time you read this, but I want to encourage you to breathe. Breathe in deeply, and focus on what is really important to you in this season. Take it one day, one hour – even, at a time and only focus on the things you can control.
What is coming will come, and we’ll meet it when it does.
Stay safe, everyone. I’m off to deal with a piece of the dark chocolate cake I baked during a spell of boredom, yesterday. Extra 10 squats tonight, for that!
