I’m slowly coming to realize, or possibly to it, that this whole global pandemic hasn’t been an entirely bad thing. It was good for the planet, at first, with less toxic emissions, since we weren’t driving as much; but bad because of the drastic increase in plastic consumption.
Yes, it has been catastrophic on so many levels, but it has given us pause. Another opportunity to go inward, listen, and change direction. We are who we are; however, an occasional wallop can help us to wake up and pay attention.
We have all been affected by the coronavirus; however, let me begin by acknowledging those who have been devastatingly ripped apart by the virus or from its consequences. I am deeply sorry for all you’ve been through.
The biblical words, this too shall , doesn’t mean that we should stand by and blame those around us until it goes away. Our frame of reference must change — if we are to go on as happy, positively adjusting individuals who are capable of adding our contributions to the collective — for the good of everyone.
When this pandemic first hit home, I was unmoored, and worried for the community and our family of kids and grandchildren. Everything changed in a day. No more substitute teaching, no more tutoring, and my husband, Kent, no longer went to his merchandising jobs. We had no idea at the time that our working days, as we knew them, were over.
I began eating less, to conserve the food we had, and foraged for wild greens here in the canyon. We wandered the hills, soaked up the sunshine, and ate a super healthy, mostly vegan diet — to boost our immune systems and lay the seeds for happiness.
After a month or two, with no improvement in sight, our daughter started coming up with her kids once a week to get a good healthy dose of countryside (as they continue to do). We lay in the tender new grass growing in the spring, watching the clouds float by and telling stories to each other. Our grandson chose to lie in the hammock, reading, while his little sisters splashed and played in the creek nearby.
It so happens that the first book in my new series had just come out and the shutdown forced an end to the book gs and events that had been scheduled. Being creative is my outlet — my sanctuary. I think we were all flailing during those first few months. Obviously, this does not promote happiness and well-being, but that’s what we need to stay healthy.
When the recession of 2008/09 hit, we found ways to adjust. We had to think outside the box and piece together multiple jobs to make ends meet. As a culture, perhaps it was a temporary lesson on living within our means. To us, it meant getting creative with our streams of income. We dabbled in several things, but I won’t weigh you down with the details.
The positive things that this pandemic has given me were hidden at first. But I now embrace working at home, for the most part, and spending more time in nature.
When the kids visit, we no longer sit around inside. Instead, we take walks, play in the sand pile, go for wagon rides, have BYO picnics. Because their extra-curricular activities have been curtailed, they now have more time to spend with us. And that is wonderful.
My inability to not ‘do’ has allowed me to get a lot of writing done. I published two books last year and am planning on two this year. One is a novel I’ve been tinkering with for the past decade and am finally taking this opportunity to just do it. Who knows if I would have ever gotten around to it otherwise? And this feels great. Luckily, Kent is onboard and reads my work and offers . I’m grateful that he at least seems to enjoy it.
And speaking of gratitude — this appears to be the ticket. I’m so thankful that I can feel gratitude for the way things are, for the most part anyway. I still hope the pandemic ends soon, but, in the meantime, I’m going to try to continue to find the little things in life to be grateful for. So, cheers, everyone. Happy New Year!
Chi Varnado’s latest novel, The Dance Centre Presents the Nutcracker, the second book in her MG/YA series, was released in August. The Dance Centre Presents Giselle is the first. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life Before, During and After the Cedar Fire and her children’s book, The Tale of Broken Tail are also available on www.amazon.com.
Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com. You can follow her on Instagram or on www.Facebook.com/dancecentrepresents.
