My husband Ron, who will
be 65 in July, and I (59 in May) have never experienced anything like this
COVID-19, and how it's impacting the world. First of all, please make sure you
get your info from reliable sources! And wash your hands!
Ironically - or not - I
just finished listening to The Atlas of Happiness: global secrets on how to be
happy, by journalist Helen Russell. The narrator, Peter Holdway, was wonderful.
She writes, from A to Z, about the culture, some history, and happiness of 33
different countries. All in bite size essays.
I think it's very good
timing because everything shutting down is, to borrow my daughter Leena's term
- soul crushing.
Anyway, here's my
take-away during these challenging times:
1) Use your phone, and
talk to friends and family - no not texting, conversations! There's nothing
that replaces the sound of another human voice, and even laughing together.
Humans are social animals, and we have to still find ways to connect.
2) Get outside - take a
walk if you can, and really take in the trees, grass, sky and sun. If you can't
take a walk, at least take a chair out and enjoy being out of your house.
Spring is coming, and things will grow even during these COVID-19 times.
3) Do something you
enjoy - preferably with your hands. Crafting (this is apparently big in the
good old USA), drawing, paying attention to your pets. Pay attention to
ANYTHING that's positive. Watch a good movie, find a good book.
And I'm reminding
myself, that eventually, this too shall pass. In the meantime, I'll hug my
husband, and snuggle my pets. I don't
know what's coming next, but I'm determined to still find pieces of life to
enjoy.
