7 Unexpected Blessings from “Sheltering in Place”

How are you doing with “Sheltering in Place”?  It’s day 48 for our family. Believe or not, I am starting to like it. We have developed a mentality to be thankful for what we have and a routine that maximizes our social distancing and cleanliness

• We still go out but not everyday – My kids have been unusually happy just to hang at home; My husband do most of the grocery shopping and I look forward to my run outside by the water as well as our weekly farmer’s market on Saturaday. Once in awhile, we bring our kids out to play soccer or frisbee at the park.
• We don’t bring outside clothes indoors – We put everything we wear outside on our balcony includes dipping our shoe soles in bleach water. We clean everything we bring back from shopping with either bleach or food wash and put it all in our own containers
• We meet all family and friends virtually or outside at a distance – We contemplated visiting our neighbors whose routines are even more stringent than ours. They politely refused, which is very understandable. We also decided for now, visiting others who have less stringent routines is just not worth the risk.

While I still worry about the threat of coronavirus and absolute chaos created by our own government leaders, I know the best I can do in Nov is to make sure everyone we know votes and for now just live a simple and content day to day life. I practice gratefulness everyday both in my mind as well as when I speak to my family and friends. I discovered 7 unexpected blessings from “sheltering in place”

Blessing #1 – More time with my kids when they still want mommy

My kids are 8 and 11 years old. Prior to covid 19 crisis, I was constantly balancing between how much I was working vs spending time with them. I actually really wanted to change that and give them more time. I knew I only have a few more years before they want to be “left alone.” I just never was able to do enough. “Sheltering in place” changed that for me. I can give my kids hugs midday and they will surprised me with some as well. We have lunch together everyday. Even if I have only 30 min for lunch, it feels amazing. Right after work, I can get into a game of Blinks right away with my 8 year old and promptly lose. 😉

Blessing #2 – No commute stress

We have two kids going to different schools. They had many activities after school and on weekends. We used to spend hours taking them from one place to another and hours stressing about getting them there on time. We also ordered kids car service when we couldn’t do it ourselves. It felt like full time work just to make sure all was coordinated. Not only did we stress, but my 11 years old also stressed as we asked her to make sure she was going with the right people to the right activities each day. Now everything is virtual. I can tell my older one is so much happier, as am I.

Blessing #3 – Earth gets a break and can also heal a bit.

Look at this amazing picture from India before and after lockdown. With so few cars traveling everyday, our toxic gas emission around the world is way down. The environment and our ozone layer get to recover.

Blessing #4 – We are all much healthier

No eating out so no over-eating :-). We cook a larger variety of meals with low fat and salt. They are delicious! I work out everyday, even weekends. I discovered the beauty of virtual dance fitness 🙂 . Our kids love their wii games xbox games plus I started a challenge with them of pushups and planks. We turned working out into mostly fun and game.

Blessing #5 – No Tourists

At first, it was weird to be outside and see so few people in certain areas. Now I have learned to like it. It’s so calming to have fewer people in the city of San Francisco. We live by downtown and by some very popular tourist spots. It used to get super manic. Now the city can be reclaimed by locals to enjoy for a little bit.

Blessings #6 – Reconnecting with old friends sooner via Video

It’s so funny that I never thought to try it before. It was probably because it wasn’t a common practice to video chat except with grandparents or relatives. Covid19 made video chatting cool :-). I have tried FaceTime, Zoom, Facebook video and House Party so far. I had three video chats with different groups of friends just this weekend. I am actually getting reconnected with old friends faster and more often as a result.

Blessings #7 – Enjoying a slower, simple life

We are blessed to still be able to work from home. It’s busy but manageable. I feel like I actually have time to breathe and notice little things like

• How much my 11 year old is growing.
• How much my 8 year old love having me around all the time.
• How nice it is to run outside by the water
• How much I appreciate my husband and our ability to talk things out
• How much I appreciate the simple food we make for ourselves

Of course, the crisis of COVID 19 is still scary and the whiplash decisions our government makes is still worrying. However for now, I want to focus on what’s positive with the current situation. At least within our cozy SF apartment, we feel stable and safe – enjoying the closeness of our family life.

Remember it’s possible to still enjoy life even though our activities are restricted. Look for the blessing in disguise with our current situation. Stay safe!

Your Comments: What are some of the unexpected blessings you have experienced? I think if we look for the positive in life, we will find it. I hope you are finding yours in today’s difficult situation. I look forward to your comments

Your comments: Do you have an inner voice that tells you that you are not enough? Do you where it comes from and how to ignore it? I look forward to hearing from you.

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I am always in your corner.

Lei

I am always in your corner

Lei