Keeping the good

I’ve been in this socially distant life now for quite some time, in some ways it feels like forever and in others it feels like just yesterday we were at our favorite restaurant for my birthday in early March. But here we are and this past week my county got permission to enter phase one of opening back up. It’s led me to think about how my life will going forward, what changes have I made during this time that I want to keep?

First up is how I’ve been cooking. I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants and not meal planning as I did before and I’m fairly sure this is going to stick. When I grocery shop I make sure to get a wide variety of things we like and the only thing I think about ahead of time is if I need to take anything out of the freezer to thaw for a meal the next day. It’s been good for me, challenged me to come up with more meals by tossing things together and I’ve discovered that I’ve learned a lot over the years about flavors, what we like, what works, and what doesn’t. This will stick with me well past this weird time.

Second is morning meditation or yoga. I’ve consistently taken time in the mornings before work to get on the mat. On the weekends I’m still doing longer yoga sessions later in the day, but it’s been amazing to start my day focusing on my breathe and my body. And in the past week I’ve extended this practice to read a poem before I get off the mat. It’s a good change.

And the last thing I want to retain is being intentional with how I use a device when I’m not working. I’ve been trying, very hard, to not be on a screen before I start my work day and after I finish it. The fact that I knit and crochet helps, I usually pick up yarn in between work and making dinner and work on a project. Or I go out and sit on the patio and stare at the garden and watch the birds. Both of these things help me to let go of the day and the news. I’ve also ended up spending more time reading, after calming my brain from the day, I’m able to focus on a book.

I’m thinking about how I want to spend this summer. Not gonna lie, I’m super disappointed that all of the things I love about where I live are canceled (summer band concerts in the park, Fourth of July parade and fireworks, etc). This is my favorite time of year here because of the activities. I’m trying to figure out a longer term project, other than a yarn one, that will help me feel focused on something so I don’t miss these things quite as much. I have two ideas, but am not totally sure yet what I’ll start on June 1. I don’t know how this will go, but I want to get ahead of spending time this summer moping and use my energy towards something different, we’ll see how it goes.

I hope you are well friends, I hope you’re finding the things that help you out. I sincerely hope that no matter what your circumstances, you’re at least finding a moment to take a breathe.