Happy Weekend! I've finally figured out the day of the week and it is Saturday! Saturday night, like Monday and Sunday and Friday and Thursday and Tuesday and even Wednesday nights is always spent in one spot:
For the past few weeks, I've been sort of enjoying our new reclusive lifestyle. As much as I adore people and a good party (especially when I can host) and I miss traveling places outside of New Jersey, I sort of love the permission pandemic has given me to stay put. I was always in 17 different places doing 17 different things before 2020, it's nice to be in one place, doing 17 different things in 2021.
And by enjoy, I mean I might be embracing a homebound lifestyle. With the exception of Ash Wednesday, which was a HUGE outing (I wore shoes!) and choir that afternoon, I only left the house this week to drive or pick up children. And each time, I believe I wore my pajamas under my long coat and my slippers.
(I might be losing it slightly).
Anyway, while this pandemic has broken so many things--the way we live, the certainty we have about the future and our hearts when loved ones are lost to COVID--there are a very bright spots that I don't want to go away when the world opens up.
I felt the same way when Lily finished cancer treatment--and I know that sounds crazy, but cancer gave our, then, small family, so much time together. We ate every meal together and slept every night in the same (hospital) room. It was a scary, dark time, but when I look back what remains is a strong sense of family and bonds that nothing can ever break.
So this Saturday night, that sometimes feels like a repeat of Tuesday two weeks ago and Monday and every other night in the past 365 days, there are so many things that give me joy, like:
1.The great talks I get to have with my almost-15-year-old. I know her childhood time is coming to a close. To have this extended time together--like we once did when the circumstances were so scary--is a gift I will never stop being thankful for.
2. Seeing my 12 year old and 8 year old play together as best friends and to know that this time together will forever be woven into their relationship and their memories. I can almost hear my son telling his future nieces and nephews all about the days spent playing restaurant, hiding in the Bamboo forest and having sleepovers.
3. Watching my kids build bonds with our awesome neighbors---just like I did as a kid. They run this neighborhood like total, well, kids! All different ages, all different grades and all different, beautiful kids who will forever be part of each other's life story--just like my old neighborhood friends are in mine.
4. The strong, deep friendships that have grown via text and email and messenger and zoom and phone. Sometimes, my correspondence with my mom friends, my garden friends, my high school friends, my college friends, my church friends, my work friends, my neighbor friends, my blogger friends and my related-to-me friends is the very thing that gets me through the day. They make me laugh, they listen to my insanity, they pray for me and they ask me to be there for them, too. What an honor, what a joy, to have so many people to love. You know who all are--and I just cannot imagine a single day without a quick note from you.
5. The time with my husband. Mike used to travel more and I used to run around town more. Now, we are here, every night, in this spot, together. I cannot think of a better pandemic partner. I truly miss him when he goes to his office, in the basement (when the temperature is below 50 degrees) and the garage (in the warmer months). This pandemic has proven that we won't drive each other mad in our retirement years and that we like, really, really, really like each other.
6. And last but not least, I am very, very grateful for every streaming service and cable TV. I mean, this better not go away when pandemic ends!
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