Peace in Chaos

To say that it has been a whirlwind of a month feels like a gigantic understatement. Also, has it really only been a month???

COVID19 has swept through the world turning our lives upside down. It's terrifying to watch the news and see the fear and anxiety gripping the world. Fear of illness, losing loved ones, losing jobs, running out of essentials, going to the store, and I believe the all encompassing fear of the unknown. We've all added new words and phrases to our every day lexicons: sheltering in place, social distancing, novel virus, self-quarantine, essential, flattening the curve, and more. These have become common place in daily conversation, now taking place over the phone or Zoom.

There's no denying that this is a scary and uncertain time, however, I've been truly bolstered by the beautiful acts of kindness and humanity occurring. The first time that I saw a video of Italians holding a make shift concert on their balconies to help reduce the feeling of isolation while sheltering in place, tears sprang to my eyes. In the midst of the chaos, they showed up for each other and gave each other hope. The hope doesn't stop there. The stories of people creating cloth masks and donating them to health care workers and other essential employees brings hope. Stores having special hours for only the high risk and elderly brings hope. Gifts of generosity to those struggling to pay their bills brings hope.

For me, I began to notice that all of these acts of hope had another link trailing with them: gratitude. I found myself being thankful for all of these amazing people doing incredible things. Once I tapped into gratitude, I began to feel a little better. Like anything in life, there are things we can't control, but we can always control how we react to the uncontrollable. I've chosen to combat some of my fear and anxiety with hope and gratitude.

Each morning, I find myself waking up and listing no less than 10 things that I'm grateful for. What I've noticed that has recently changed from when I began this practice months ago, is now my gratitude is heavily rooted in the temporary present. This morning, it went something like this:

1. I'm grateful for the current health of my family today. I hope tomorrow that is the case as well.
2. I'm grateful for my husband who has really been my rock and the fact that our marriage is strong.
3. I'm grateful for my kids and the joy they bring.
4. I'm grateful for the roof over my head and walls keeping us protected.
5. I'm grateful for my job today that allows me to help society, work from home, and pay my bills.
6. I'm grateful for the food in my pantry and fridge; that we'll have 3 meals and even dessert today.
7. I'm grateful for the ability to FaceTime my mom so even though we can't be together, I can see her face.
8. I'm grateful for hearing from my sister more often.
9. I'm grateful for all of the healthcare workers putting themselves in this new line of fire and making the hard choices to save as many loved ones as they can.
10. I'm grateful for all of the essential workers that have helped the world continue to spin with some sense of normalcy. They make sure food is on the shelves, mail is in our boxes, clean water comes from our taps, trash is off of the streets, etc.

We can never know what tomorrow will bring, but we can certainly be grateful for all of the big and little things today. After all, life can change in an instant.

What are 10 things that you are grateful for today?