I once heard a speaker in her 80s sharing from her own experience. At one time she was a pastor’s wife, a teacher, and a mother of four children—including one handicapped child. She talked about how, through the years, her life had narrowed. Her children grew up and left home. She retired. Her husband died. With each life-change, the circle of her life and her influence diminished. While there is a sadness in this, there is also a clarity of focus. And, that was her point.

2020 has been a life-narrowing year. Across the country we went from busy, active lifestyles—to something unprecedented and strange. We were working, schooling, sporting, worshipping, traveling, shopping, partying, movie going. And then we weren’t.

One of the last things my family did before our first “sheltering in place” was an outing to a favorite steakhouse to celebrate the unusually high number of birthdays we have in February and March. It was early March and we commented on how empty the restaurant was even then. It was a foreshadowing event. By my actual birthday two weeks later everything was shut down.

We can hardly even begin to list the changes since that initial shutdown. Our lives are narrower. We see a smaller circle of friends as we go about our daily activities. We do fewer things. We have adopted new patterns and routines. We’ve been forced to change. We now talk about a “new normal” – a term I personally hate. But there really isn’t any “normal” – almost every aspect of our lives is subject to change.

While there is plenty of sorrow in this “new normal,” I’d like to spend a few moments considering what I think are some positive elements in this peculiar time in which we live.

 

I’ve discovered that:

  • Spending a lot of time with family members in close confines for extended periods requires patience, creativity, empathy, good communication skills, and anger management.
  • I often fail in these endeavors–which means seeking forgiveness. In turn, I’m reminded that I need to have an attitude of forgiveness toward others.
  • There are new technologies and new ways to communicate. I’ve realized that I can “think outside the box” sometimes.
  • Some almost forgotten family pastimes – completing puzzles, cooking meals together, reading books, playing family games, creating art projects – are worthy activities.
  • I must wrestle with various levels of fear – for myself or for my loved ones. But, I’ve learned I need to balance that fear with other guiding principles in my life.
  • There is a need for a continual attitude of gratitude – for health and safety (when it is mine), for love expressed to me and for others to whom I can express love.
  • That I can trust my God, even when I don’t understand.

 

Perhaps sometime in the near or hopefully not too distant future, our lives will widen again into some semblance of our previous “normal.” I assume we will readily and speedily embrace all the aspects of our lives that we have had to put on the back burner. I’m sure I will be right there with all the others bidding a not-so-fond farewell to 2020. However, it’s good to remember that there are things for us to learn and be thankful for during this time, as long as it lasts. ~ Janice