Two years ago seems like ages ago, but somehow these lessons (found from an old blog post) remind me of what’s important and still relevant in 2022. The past always leaves clues.
~Dionna Griffin-Irons
- I never realized that my hubby and I were doing “Drive-by Parenting” with our children until we spent 24 hours together. Staying home gives us the time to have longer conversations, fix table manners and remind our children that we (parents) are not the enemy.
- Dark chocolate almonds are my go-to snacks morning, noon, and late night. I don’t feel the least bit guilty when I’m roaming the cupboards. (I’m also a good liar to myself.)
- Jogging, a 15 minute walk, @carmilla_k workouts and getting outside each day is essential to my well-being. My commitment to not return to the world in a “different” physical state gets harder each day I don’t exercise.
- I don’t binge watch popular TV shows or movies. I prefer to read and research the craft of writing soaking up inspiring stories from writing legends Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and the wealth of Chicago writers whose work on the web will blow you away.
- Social media still lures me into a dark hole. I want to see how everyone else is handling the new world order and apocalypse without makeup in the comfort of their home.
- Google Hangouts and Zoom calls are the only platforms I use to give the illusion that I’m tech savvy except when they are stuck in “launch mode.”
- I enjoy cooking fresh meals for my family, but 21 prepared meals each week is exhausting. Nod and kuddos to my hubby who scored a blackened salmon recipe at a few fun attempts.
- Customer service is at an all time low. Everyone is fearful and ready to tell your where to stand on duct tape. Shopping in person is the new awkward normal.
- Sometimes I wander aimlessly in our home without anywhere to go.
- My eight year old son is tirelessly “saving the world”, only now the world is inside the confines of our 1000 square feet home. I’m confronted with a plastic sword, front flips and dagger only to remind me that I need to stay in shape and always be ready.
- Our two dogs – a full grown Lab shepherd mix and miniature Maltese have finally gotten comfortable seeing us in “their” house 24/7. My comfort is only enhanced when I’m bribing them with more dental treats and personal back rubs for taking up extra space.
- Every new nook that I clean and declutter as a personal writing space, becomes the new space that my hubby or children inhabit. The tiny closet looks more appealing each day.
- My oldest son uses a bright/dark lighting feature on his computer screen when he wants to fool me he is not playing online games during homeschool hours. I’ve turned into a remote learning patrol. #Mommyalwaysknows
- Laundry is finally manageable and I’m thankful that I bought a new dryer after five months of visiting the coin laundromat while patiently supporting my husband’s DIY repairs. Who knew big appliances would be hard to let go.
- You can improvise online and do it well. I’ve seen it, experienced the magic and taught 2 classes for ten weeks. The challenge was learning the platform to teach it on and not necessarily the skill to teach.
- Setting out birdseed in the feeder every two weeks makes life seem normal even though I’m jealous of red cardinals, blue birds, and house sparrows ability to fly without restrictions.
- Adults have bigger meltdowns than children.
- My seventy-year old “young” Mom is giving me recommendations for building an online talk show. I love my Mom for being a force of nature during quarantine. She is my creative inspiration.
- I’ve always thrived in restricted environments thanks to my past lock-down environments #jailtime, because humbleness and gratitude often result from extreme situations.
- The new normal isn’t going to be easy, unless we practice kindness and empathy each day. We must first save ourselves and remember that all of us are running for our life. #Irunwithahmaud