By Nikki Nardell of @3Snowflakes
I read something recently that said, “Take note of the world around you. History is unfolding.” I couldn’t help but read it again. And again. I find myself torn between wanting to document all of this, and unable to keep up with how fast everything is changing.
It has been about a week since the world has been taken hostage by the Corona Virus. Or more accurately, I should say the United States, because much of the world has been dealing with this for months. But what once seemed abstract and distant is now very close to home. Suddenly, life is different. Our new normal is anything but normal. Our schools are shut down. Our stores are closed. We find ourselves physically and abruptly cut off from family and friends. Everyone has become suspect. We have allowed fear to creep in. If you think I am being dramatic, trying having allergies right now. One sneeze can clear a room.
It has been about a week since the compulsive hand washing has started. The run on hand sanitizer. The endless Facebook Memes. The grocery stores have become CHAOS. Toilet paper, of all things, has become coveted. I fear we are losing trust. The panic has set in.
It has been about a week since I last heard kids playing at the park. Since the neighborhood kids were banging on my door begging for my kids to come out and play. Since the library was bustling. Everything is oddly quiet. It all seems surreal.
Covid-19 has crept into every facet of our lives. Everything has changed.
IT HAS ONLY BEEN A WEEK.
I am sure there are people who spend their entire lives planning for something like this, but for most of us I am going to guess, the severity of a global pandemic has caught us off guard. It has been about a week since we were told to STAY HOME. And if I’m being honest, it only took a week for me to realize I am in no rush to get back out there.
The world is seemingly upside-down right now. Our country is struggling for solid direction and leadership. It is not a political statement, it’s the truth. Even those in power are struggling to find their footing with this unprecedented turn of events. Social media has become our main source of communication – and lets face it, sadly people are not always kind online. Sad but true, I have blocked more people this week than I ever have!
Yet amid all the chaos and all the unease, it only took a week to see the real heroes in our neighborhoods emerge. The medical personnel who are rarely given a choice to sit this pandemic out. The teachers who never stopped checking on their students. The grocery store workers who are working around the clock. The janitors and the truck drivers who never seem phased by all the chaos around them. The volunteers who rush in when everyone else rushes home. It only took a week for the Helpers to silently don their capes.
Covid-19 may have taken away normalcy for right now, but for those of us lucky enough to call our homes our Safe Space, this pandemic has brought more silver linings than we give it credit for.
Because it only took a week to realize what matters most.
It only took a week to define our inner circle.
It only took a week to read that book that has been sitting on the night stand for months.
It only took a week to learn how to bake bread.
It only took a week to finally meet our neighbor across the street.
It only took a week to see how important it is to shop local.
It only took a week to see how much is expected of our kids at school.
It only took a week to have a real conversation with our spouse.
It only took a week to guiltlessly watch a movie in the middle of the day.
It only took a week to dust off that old blog.
It only took a week to learn the names of all the birds in our yard.
It only took a week to get rid of our training wheels.
It only took a week to get offline and get outside.
It only took a week to learn how to fold a fitted sheet. (Just kidding, ain’t nobody got time for that!)
It only took a week to pick up a pen.
It only took a week to learn tiktok dances.
It only took a week to see how much of our daily routine we can live without.
It only took a week to realize how much we usually take for granted.
It only took a week to stop rushing.
It only took a week to stop glamorizing how busy we are.
It only took a week to realize all this extra time is actually a gift.
It only took a week, and a global pandemic, to be forced to stop and dig deep enough to listen to our own thoughts without the world rushing around us. It only took a week to realize that while this may be bad, it’s sadly far worse for many more.
When you look back at this moment in history, and I am sure we will all look back on it differently, what only took a week for you?
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You can follow Nikki at @3Snowflakes on Instagram.
