Working from home, at a time when we are relegated to staying home, almost makes me feel like a snotty teen who got what she wanted and is still in temper tantrum mode.    I’ve been dreaming of working from home for years, and now that I get to it’s been more challenging than I expected.  Before I let this take over my world and the blahs set in, it’s time to focus on the blessings.

In some ways there are many comforts to being at home.  I mean I literally have all the comforts of home, right?  It’s a little slice of heaven being able to add sweats as my go to work pants, although I’m pretty sure my waistline is going to pay BIG time.  It’s wonderful saving on gas money and the commute time is a total dream!  There’s the bonus of being able to make my lunches and being able to throw in a load of laundry, between conference calls.  I mean, that’s the kind of multi-tasking I can get behind.

Then there’s the bigger benefit of being home while my kids are for the first time navigating online school.  This is bonus time I wouldn’t normally have shared with them and with one kid about to graduate and head off to college this time definitely makes my heart happy.  Plus, I am thoroughly enjoying watching them manage unstructured schedules and find ways to meet these new expectations.  The fact that they have acknowledged how challenging this is and have actually said they miss school tells you it must be rough!  If you know my kids, you know, like most they hate the early morning schedule of getting to school.  Now they are basically begging for it to start up again.  I’m sure this has nothing to do with too much quality time with mom;)

I also get to be home to greet my fiance when he wraps his day up.  I feel like I’m a part of the rhythm of the house.  I’m here when he gets the dogs up and moving and I’m here when he walks in ready to wrap up his day.  I feel more connected to him and everyone in the house.  Many household chores would be taken on by one of us to get it off the to-do list, now we can do them together and it’s comforting.  Like everyone we are making more meals at home and WFH lets me be a part of the cooking.  Regular work weeks, my hours combined with my commute really didn’t allow for me to contribute to meal time and I missed it.

The Social Distancing Challenge

There may also be a little more TV watching , eating and drinking than prior to the social distancing era, but we have certainly found our fun there too.  We were adventurous this weekend and enjoyed a couple new margarita mixes.  While I miss sports, oh how I miss sports, we have managed to find some entertainment.  I think finding the entertainment is just as much fun sometimes as what we end up watching.  We certainly haven’t focused on personal growth, purely anything that brings some levity and entertainment; we’ve watched everything from RedBull challenges to a marble race to Ridiculousness and Tiger King.  It has all helped us laugh, relax and occasionally shake our heads in disbelief.  

Social distancing is a huge challenge and feels horrible at its core for so many reasons, from missing friends to worrying about the economy and so much more, its a long list.  But, there are some ups to this unusual time we are in, from slowing down the day and getting better time with the people I love most to finding joy in old games, sharing recipes with friends and family, and learning new ways to virtually stay connected.  It’s easy to let the change of pace we are all so accustomed to make it seem like we are bored or struggling to get through the day.  Maybe we are just dropping down a gear and letting the daily race slow down a bit, allowing us to take in some of the beauty that is around us while we are “stuck” at home.

There are hundreds of challenges everyone is facing right now and uncertainty brings fear and stress into each day.  We don’t have a lot of answers, we are facing a global pandemic and none of that brings calm or feels warm and fuzzy.   Today, I wanted to reflect on the small moments I am blessed with.  There are so many that make me smile each day.  From puppy kisses to yummy dishes, and everything in between, I hope that each one of you have many small moments bringing an up to your day.

XOXO