These past few months have been, unarguably, incredibly challenging times. Last week, I wrote about racism and its painful impact on our world. This is a critical conversation that needs to be ongoing.

During the past few weeks, I also asked friends and readers:
Has there been anything “positive” that you’ve experienced as a result of COVID-19? And, have there been any “Aha” moments as the result of the pandemic?
Below are some of those responses.

Positives:
• people have dug deep to become creative and innovative in their problem solving, helping and supporting each other
• skills that were becoming lost, like sewing and baking are being taught to our children
• stress levels have dropped significantly since working from home
• people whose professions have gone overlooked for decades are now being appreciated
• my kids show me their loving interest and concern about my health
• the planet recovering in miraculous ways due to less poisoning while in lockdown; the hole in the ozone is getting smaller
• family time together—communicating and engaging in activities
• people slowing down and relaxing, becoming more in tune with each other
• awareness that another “new normal” is in the making and trying to project ideas to prepare for it
• not struggling financially throughout this pandemic, and fortunate to support loved ones
• not missing the frenetic pace
• changes that take me back to childhood—families now doing puzzles, playing games, and talking to each other; the kitchen again becoming the center of family life
• having dear friends show interest and love fills me with such positive feelings
• seeing people coming together to help each other
• having a home, food, healthcare, family
• seeing more light than I did before
• news stories about support, from Nascar teams, purchasing iPads for people in nursing homes to opera stars singing from their balconies every night
• bonding and having a really nice time on family walks
• not working as much—before my work, cooking, cleaning, parenting, yard care, really wore me down
• my meditation practice and offerings
• the grandkids are so much more creative without all the organized sports
• stories about cleaner water and less pollution in many parts of the world
• witnessing the response and sacrifice that came from communities around the world restored my faith in my fellow man
• appreciating and noticing the natural beauty around me
• being reminded many times of my inherent privilege

Aha Moments:
• realizing how little I need to buy!
• opportunities to slow down, relish the beauty of the Spring, plant, be outside gardening, listen and watch the birds
• awareness that I don’t want to get back into my old busy life just because I don’t want to say “no thank you”—to volunteer opportunities I don’t really want to do, to a dinner invitation from someone I don’t really care for, to weekly small group meetings when I only want to go every other week
• reading an article about the number of dead birds I see, my immediate reaction was that COVID-19 had killed them, but a writer said that this is not unusual, it happens every year; the difference is that we are noticing it now
• watching a broad spectrum of “slowing down the world” at the micro-level (neighbors and friends) and at the macro-level (traffic on the roads, until very recently)
• realizing how wasteful I was before the pandemic with my errand running—if anyone needed or wanted one thing, I would drive to the store to get it that same day; instant gratification
• our dinner hour—we have a three-generation home, and we eat our dinner meal together six nights a week; conversation, laughter, and a slow pace have been a blessing
• a reminder of how the virus has slowed us down; a “take the time to smell the roses” moment!

Where I live, we turned “yellow” last week. Yesterday, I noticed a lot more cars on the roads. Shuttered stores and restaurants are opening up (although not with the same parameters they had at the beginning of the year). As all of The United States slowly moves to the green phase, I wonder, what will we have learned? Which of the positive awarenesses and ‘Aha moments’, shared above, will we take with us into the new reality? Will we see the world through a different lens, spending more on community than consumerism? I pray that’s the case. Please don’t forget what you’ve experienced and seen. It can be easy to slip into old routines and complacency, but I know we’re better than that.
Blessings,
Kay

Blog: peacefullhome.com
Twitter:@kaymclane
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