I don’t think people really read blogs anymore, do they? I don’t know. I do know that I love reading old posts here and remembering times from when my boys were smaller. I love it so much. So this is for me. And for you, if you’ve found yourself here and you care to read. xo

We are in full shelter-in-place mode in California and to varying degrees around the world. For some of us this creates an opening that we feel we need to fill with all of the pursuits we have sidelined in our normal schedules. Writing, reading, art. I personally feel pressure to be writing but I have been feeling that same pressure for quite some time. I am in the familiar and uncomfortable place of wanting badly to write but talking myself out of every idea, story, and plan. I know that the only way to write is to write. Words beget words. Stories lead to more stories. So here we are. Let’s see what comes of this.

I read a post from Amelia Boone (a Spartan athlete and lovely human) this morning where she said she feels like there is something magical and unifying about the entire world focussing on a single problem. I couldn’t agree more. While this is a crazy and uncertain time, I also feel like it will be very healing for every single one of us. We have been gradually coming to a boil over so many things the past several years. So much has torn us apart and turned us against one another. This pandemic has us all focused on protecting ourselves and protecting one another. It insists on healthy habits and empathy, community and solidarity. While nothing has changed the problems of the world and you could argue that more have been created (I’m looking at you toilet paper hoarders), I truly believe this is a transformative time. 

A former version of me would feel invincible in a situation like this. Hearing how it has impacted other areas would be like reading about something in a history book- you know it is true but you don’t feel the weight of it. Time and maturity create new perspectives and fill our arms with more to lose. I guess you could say I feel “vincible” now. Not that I’ll succumb to this virus but that the tracks it is leaving in its wake are very real. Our businesses our economy and our mental and physical health are all impacted. Our present and our future. 

We all have our own way of approaching this time. Some of us are very organized and productive, some of us have settled into passing time by the moment. For me, I choose to take good care of myself and my people and use the spaces that have opened to create newness that is exciting and nourishing. It is spring, after all, so let’s begin again. 

Here is what I am doing:

• Feeding myself and my family healthy, nourishing foods and drinking lots of water. We still have access to fresh fruits and veggies and I’m very thankful for that. For the record, my definition of nourishing is sometimes “full of healthy micro and macronutrients” or sometimes just “yum.” My personal belief is that homemade things (vs. processed/packaged/pre-made) are the most nourishing whether they are hearty soups or dark chocolate brownies.
• Moving. There are tons of resources online (many free) for all kinds of workouts. This is one place where I keep a little more rigor- I believe it is very important for all of us to move every day. I am mixing it up between strength training, yoga, pilates, trail running, and walking.
• Getting some sunshine. This isn’t always in the cards and we do have more rain coming to Northern California in a couple of days, but I’m going to soak up some sun while I can. 

As for homeschooling, my kids have been logging in to their teacher sites each day and completing the assignments asked of them. We are going to be a tiny bit more structured next week as daily class meetings begin. I won’t have a super-rigorous schedule but we’ll attend to what we need to for school and spend time pursuing other learning through many different channels. This time is a gift in this way.