The Power of NOW

“Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.” – Master Yoda

When it comes to our current world’s state, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the fear. Worrying about what could possibly come next, and when we can finally get back to our normal routines. For me, that involved sending the kids off to school, regular Target runs, and definitely some alone time. As those things have become memories of the past, it was a hard transition for me at first. You see, less than a year ago, I moved away from most of the things and people who brought me joy. So I was already feeling like I was living a life of social distancing. Target runs and Starbucks we’re all I had. All of the sudden, I was quarantined in the house, expected to become it ALL. Home school teacher, online shopping expert, full time mom and house cleaner. It was all too overwhelming. I found myself motivated in the morning, and struggling to keep my head above water by noon.

I wanted to motivate others with my ability to “juggle it all” and the pressure alone in that had me feeling overwhelmed. Not to mention, I had a nighttime job that kept me up until midnight, and a toddler who woke me up by 5 am every morning, i was burnt out. About a week into the stay at home orders came in by the Governor, I got a call from my employer, letting me know I was being let go. I went into sheer panic. How was I going to afford food? Stuff for the kids? Both my husband and I we’re out of a job, with no way to change that. After a restless night of sleep, I had a CLEAR picture of what was going on. God was trying to get me to slow down. To realize none of this is in my control. To appreciate this incredible gift we have all been given, and that is the power of now.

For the first time in what feels like forever, life was meant to slow down for me. To slow down for all of us. I get to spend more time with my girls, watching them grow and see the world. To be honest, most of us parents are doing activities we would never do unless quarantined with time on our hands. Looking for bugs and flying a kite was never on my list for the week, but I’m so lucky that it happened. For what will be a small part of our life story, our kids get our full attention. And for a small time in life, we get theirs. We don’t have to compete with sports schedules or play dates. Their time is all ours, and if we do this right, we will see this whole thing as a GIANT blessing. You see, perspective is everything. From their points of view, they don’t see the scary numbers. They don’t know about the pandemic and it’s worldwide devastation. All they see is that mom and dad are doing some pretty cool stuff with them lately, and they will remember that forever. I’ve gotten to learn so much about my girls in this small amount of time. I’m also not embarrassed to admit, that if our lives we’re what they used to be, spending this much time together wouldn’t happen.

So, for however this time lasts, I’m going to make a choice everyday to live in the NOW. Embrace every uncomfortable step, because I know the end of this will lead to a better me. I’ll get to finally take a nap, color in a coloring book, and look for ladybugs. I’ll finally be able to try out some of those Pinterest recipes I’ve been collecting for years but never tried. I’ll get to show my kids the world in a way I grew up knowing it. It was a slower time, but I believe it was a better time. We got outside and explored the world around us. We got dirty and scraped up. We asked questions about the world around us. I honestly can’t wait for the next few months ahead!

Does this mean we need to be completely positive all the time about our current situation? No. At times, no matter how you look at it, the Corona Virus SUCKS. Allow yourself moments to take that in and face it head on. But do NOT allow yourself to live in that space. The world has been knocked down, yes, but we aren’t supposed to stay there. We will bounce back. So for now, take it day by day and breathe. If you have children, enjoy them. We will never have this kind of dedicated time to them again. If you’re without children, find moments in the day to try something new and embrace these moments of rest. I know with the job market being as it is, it’s hard to motivate yourself to find joy. You will find work again. What you won’t find is this kind of selfish time to love on yourself. Learn a second language. Find a love for bird watching. Join Tik Tok. Before we know it, this will be all over. We’re going to be okay.

Oh, and to add, after I shifted my mindset, I received an offer for a better job than the one I previously had. All within 48 hours of losing my job in the most uncertain time in our lives. I am blessed, but I firmly believe mindset is everything. You got this, I promise. We will all come out of this thing more appreciative and loving. All we can control is what we have now. And what we have now is time to slow down and enjoy the things we would if time and money we’re not an issue.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and can cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress can be easier with a little bit of help, and there is a website full of sources that can help. Just click on the link below if you or someone you know needs help coping with it all:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html