A New Normal
To say it has been a crazy few months would be quite the understatement. Wildfires ravaged Australia, Prince Harry stepped down from his royal duties, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash. Then there was the whole pandemic, nearly every state issuing “stay at home” orders, the stock market crashed, the Olympics were postponed and then murder hornets arrived. Protests and riots and drive-by birthday parties. And it’s only July. I read something that said if 2020 were a specialty flavor of potato chip, it would be orange juice and tooth paste. That resonates with me.
We’ve certainly had some stressful times during this pandemic.
However, slowly but surely, things are starting to get back to normal, at least locally. Churches are transitioning to in-person services again, restaurants are opening for dine-in service, and for the first time in months, Walmart was nearly fully stocked on toilet paper. Schools are preparing to reopen in August, even though it may have a different look, and many summer activities are in full swing.
Chances are, you’ve had tough moments. I know I have. I’ve had moments where I wanted to pull my hair out every time I heard the phrase “the new normal.” I’ve done way too much online shopping, way too little exercising, and shrugged off how little school work I made my kids do. And while there is an element of things returning to normal, there is still that underlying truth that we are still in the middle of a pandemic. And that can be scary.
My children have actually adjusted pretty well to life during a pandemic. They miss friends and until recently, missed their sports and activities. But, honestly, that was one thing I haven’t missed. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching the girls do gymnastics and cheering for my son as he plays baseball or soccer, but I haven’t missed having a place to be every night of the week. I haven’t missed sandwiches in the car on the way to practice, or packing clothes for the next event with stuff for the current event. There was plenty of time for yard work and card games and cooking dinner.
Sometimes, I think life gets moving at such a break-neck pace, everything around us becomes a blur. Our lives are scheduled to the minute almost, often with one parent taking one kid in one direction and another parent or grandparent taking another in the opposite direction. We miss celebrating a birthday because we were so busy planning the party. We give a short answer for “how are you” because honestly, we are moving so fast we aren’t really sure the answer.
This time at home has really given me time to stop and think about what I want our life to look like after the pandemic (that sounds like a great name for a documentary). It’s made me think about things that are worth giving my time to.
I’m not tossing everything out the window. Don’t get me wrong. Some things I really do miss. Like being able to run to Walmart for cat food after 8 p.m. because I didn’t know we were out. Or being able to eat inside at my favorite restaurant. Or not having to cast lots for toilet paper. And I really can’t wait to get back to the point where I’m not judged by everyone within earshot when I sneeze.
And I think my kids have benefited as well, even with missing nine weeks of school. They have played more together. We’ve had big conversations about how our decisions affect other people, they have researched and created habitats for salamanders and other creatures. They’ve taken on more responsibilities around the house. Life looks different.
I think it’s important for us to take time and really think about our lives as they were. Talk to our children and ask how they feel. Is there something they really have missed and are excited to get back to, or are there some things that they are realizing they enjoy more. Like eating dinner around the table rather than in the car. And we need to ask ourselves those questions too. Because I’m willing to bet we would all agree there are some parts of “normal” that aren’t worth getting back to.