Quarantine! Making Fun of It

Maggie hasn't learned social distancing and probably your dogs haven't either. Her joy and fun-loving spirit haven't changed at all in the weeks we've been staying at home. This selfie of Maggie and me was taken to share with all my dog-loving friends. If you're a dog-lover I hope this inspired you to love on your dog. Let's aspire to find fun through this challenge.

Even though we’re staying away from each other, we have so much in common separately. When we look for positive thoughts, we align with positive people. When we find things to be joyful about, we align with people who are also doing that. When we have faith that this is temporary we align with the faithful, and when we meet on the other side of this we will all be better for what we’ve learned through this.

Since my husband Terry and I are senior citizens and we’re supposed to stay in our homes, our next door neighbor goes to the grocery store for us. I’m grateful for the help, but there’s something intrusive about giving someone my grocery list. I want my choices to look really healthy and organic so there’s no way I’ll put down chips and dip or chocolate ice cream when I really would like to have some. The pandemic has forced us to eat healthier if only for show. Being locked down has had an effect on Nelly (my inner child). She’s been sneaking carbs into our meals in the name of a reward for not getting to get out.

                                                                     This is Maggie's new trick. When I                                                            say, "Be a lady," she crosses her front paws.

Yesterday I told Terry I had a burning desire to go to Costco (really a burning desire for carbohydrates). He was thrilled to bust out and we had a grand time! (Of course shopping at Costco was one of the highlights of my life way before COVID 19 reared its ugly spokes.) We wore our masks and latex gloves, but were surprised at how many people didn’t.

I was thinking about some of the delights I’ve experienced through this quarantine. Here are just a few:

1. My girls are free! (I’ll need to watch an instructional video on how to put on a bra when this is over.)

2. When I lose something, I know it’s here somewhere, not at the bank, post office, Matt and Mandy’s Diner or out in the car.

3. My home doesn’t have to be “company ready” (even though it is).

4. I can sleep in and take a nap if I want to (but that’s another thing I could do before the pandemic).

5. Since I love blank squares on my calendar, I love seeing them outstretched through June. My dentist cancelled my cleaning. My doctor cancelled my mammogram.  

Where are you on a scale of one to ten?

On April 8, my husband celebrated his 77^th  birthday. His family is on the east coast and they organized a Zoom conference call and we were able to see everyone! To see three teenagers together in the same room was such a treat and because of this technology we were brought together to sing in unison to the wash your hands song.

I asked this question to the group, “Where are you on a scale of one to ten; one being ready to check in with St. Peter and ten, lottery-winning-thrilled with being quarantined?” There were two family members with a ten rating; Philip our nine year old grandson and his mother Jenya. The father, Eric our son, gave a rating of five. His complaint was not being able to be with people, go to the gym, eat in restaurants, shop in stores and travel.

Our daughter Kristi gave her isolation rating a nine and her kids rated the lockdown a five. I’m a nine and 3/4 (I’d be a ten if my spirit didn’t get periodically sopped up in concern for the unknown). My son Michael and his family live in Brooklyn and he said it’s very scary there, but at 7:00 every night people go out on their fire escapes and balconies, cheer out their windows and bang pots and pans to support the medical workers and first responders.

I’ve thought a lot about cloistered nuns lately and how perhaps my cloistering will make me a nicer, more spiritual person. I’m attempting to use part of this time home alone for self-improvement. Today I took a 24-hour challenge not to complain. I’m two hours into it and I’ve already caught myself complaining to myself about a fly that won’t stay in one place long enough for me to whack it.

I’m going to do a Facebook Live next week (my first one) and share some fun with you. Next week I’ll give details as to date and time. In the meantime, don’t forget we’re in this together and we need to be kind to ourselves by staying positive. If it means staying away from the news, then take a break from it. Each of us is responsible for the thoughts we think and what we choose to focus on. Together let's focus on what's good in our lives.