WHAT IF?

This is an unusual time. 
I have had moments that I felt as if we are in a Sci Fi movie. Scenes on the news of people dressed in a wardrobe of total protection are not just frightening to children, but to all of us.
Words like, isolation, social distancing, quarantine, and rationing, spill through every news report and conversations all begin with,
      “What store has milk, bread or eggs?”
      “Where can we find toilet paper?”

I don’t like it.

Seeing my loved ones through a computer is not the same as kissing their cheeks.
Virtual game night is fun, but it is not the same as sharing the same bowl of chips.   (Will we ever be able to share chips again?)
I miss coffee and lunches with friends. I miss dinner and movie dates with my husband. I miss manicures and massages. I miss trips, concerts, and sporting events that have been cancelled. I miss running to the store just to pick up a tomato for my BLT without feeling like my life could be in danger.

All of this feels like distant memories of a past life that becomes increasingly blurred as the days goes by.

I feel pressure when I hear people are using this time to clean out every closet, write a book, and get in shape by working out and eating right. I am sure the new Corona Diet Plan will be out any day. That just makes me want to eat pop tarts - which I did before I went to bed last night.

I feel fear for those in areas with he most cases of this Corona Virus, the elderly, and the recently unemployed. I fear the financial ramifications for the world.
I feel admiration for those in the front lines of leadership trying to make the right decisions; for those serving us with formidable strength in the healthcare world; and for the entire chain of workers it takes to produce, transport, and stock the shelves of supermarkets.
When it isn’t cold and snowing, (yes, it is still winter where I live), I go for walks. I cross to the other side of the street if I see someone walking towards me. I count the cars in driveways and wonder if they are having a gathering of more than 10 or if they have gathered as a family to shelter at home -together.
Yesterday, I walked.  
It wasn’t to add steps to my fitness counter or burn as many calories as I could.
I walked ​slow and with the intention of enjoying every step. The sun hit my face with a warmth that made 40 degrees feel like summer. I took deep breaths of clean, fresh air. It felt amazing to be out of my house where the air is continually circulated through the furnace. 

I looked up to the bluest sky I have ever seen that was speckled with cotton white clouds. In the silence of not hearing traffic, or the noise of daily life, I heard birds. Birds singing glorious songs with their choir of friends. I saw carefree bunnies scampering through yards. 
You are probably thinking this sounds a bit gushy and the next thing I will say is that blue birds appeared to tie ribbons in my hair like I was Cinderella in a Disney movie.
I won’t go that far, but...

It felt slow. 
It felt quiet. 
It felt peaceful. 
It felt fresh and new. 
It felt different.
What if this is the message of this virus? The message to slow down. To listen. To see things again- the things we take for granted and the things we miss in our hurried life.
What if the speed of which our life and world had gotten to was spinning so fast that we were heading for an implosion? What if this is it?
What if we needed a shake down? A wake-up call to be grateful for what is important.

As the days go by, I realize how grateful I am for simplicity. How grateful I am for food, water, and the shelter of my home. How grateful I am for the security of love from my family and friends. How grateful I am for dinner and movie dates with my husband at home with our sweet dogs snuggled next to us.

I realize what I really miss. I miss smiles and hugs. I miss cheek kisses. I miss the touch of my loved ones and voices that are not muffled by technology. I miss the freedom to move in whatever direction I desire.

The events, travel, and manicures seem of little importance.

The uncertainty of not knowing how or when this will end is nerve racking and I don’t have the answers. I do know that the most important lessons are taught in the most difficult of times. I do know that the sky is bluer, the birds are singing louder, and the world has slowed to a pace that we need to remember when this time of hunkering down ends.
What if it is time to listen to the quiet?
What if it is time for you to take a walk?
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Pennie's Life Lesson: 
    “The most important lessons are  taught in the most difficult of times.”
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YOUR TURN...         
​My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you think about our world situation is trying to teach us.
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
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                          Thank you!  
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         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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