Alright friends. So, this isn’t quite the start to the new decade that we were anticipating. A pandemic was not exactly what we saw in the cards for March.
And it looks like it is not a question of if they will close schools but when and the ultimate question, for how long? It feels everywhere and all at once.
You can’t turn on the news without being bombarded. FEAR. SICKNESS. PANIC. BUY ALL THE HAND SANITIZER.
You can’t go to a store without feeling you are too late for the blizzard stock up. THERE IS NO MORE HAND SANITIZER ANYWHERE.
You can’t scroll your social media fees without feeling overwhelmed. NEW CASES. NEW CLOSURES. NEW FEARS.
Everywhere seems to be shouting in red: IT IS COMING.
We can’t control the inevitable existence of this virus. We can however control our reaction to it.
We can turn off the news. We can stop the scroll or we can add positivity and funny memes instead of contributing to the fear. We can wash our hands (there is still hand soap at normal prices on Amazon). We can share our cleaning products with one another if we have enough. We can give. We can unite. We can breathe. We can keep looking for the good.
For me, I’m currently getting ready to put my house on the market. I’m having the whole house painted and my bathroom is completely demolished to its studs. The whole place is covered in plastic and resembles Dexter’s kill room. I brushed my teeth in the utility sink this morning. Dry shampoo is my BFF. We are living on a steady diet of random pantry goods. When I tell you that I AM NOT READY FOR MY KIDS TO BE HOME FOR A MONTH I AM NOT KIDDING. The health department would shut me down right about now.
But here’s the thing. It is not a blizzard. Spring is also coming. Daffodils are rising. Sunlight is lasting. We can go outside. We can spend time together that the hustle of the school year rarely allows for. We can read. We can pack. We can exhale. We can enjoy our home in these last several weeks in a way that we otherwise wouldn’t even really be even to take in after we have done all of the improvements to it that we always wanted to do. We can live in it. We get to do things in our own sweet open time. We get to slow down. We get a minute. We finally get a minute.
We can exemplify the good. It is all around us if we just remember to keep looking for it.
It is imperative to stay informed without instilling a side of panic. The kids are watching how we react. They will remember this. Be smart. Wash your hands. Have your kids wash their hands. Play outside. Fear does not need to be invited to the party. Keep on living and learning and we will all be the better for it.
Good luck everyone. We’ve got this.
Katie has a book out that is a collection of quotes and mic drops to embrace your inner warrior. “Girl Power” is available on Amazon and is the perfect gift for all the warriors in your world. You can find out more details and book signing info on her instagram @katieyackleymoore. Endless thanks for reading. Xo
To read more blogs by Katie Moore click here.
Katie Yackley Moore is a freelance writer, real estate agent, yoga instructor and a momma of four navigating life and a separation and finding herself in the process. She adores coffee shops, laughing until it hurts and impromptu dance parties. Her work has appeared on Scary Mommy, Mamalode and HuffPost Parents. She has published a journal entitled “Dream a Bigger Dream” and the children’s books “You Are a Warrior” and “We are Family” and just finished her first novel. Catch up with her between tea breaks at The Naked Momma and on Facebook.
