I have been self-isolating for over a month now and some days are harder than others.  I have been working from home for quite awhile so I am used to self-isolating.  However, my fun times, such as movies and shopping, have been curtailed.

I have always been able to entertain myself and that is no different now during Covid-19 Self-Quarantine time.  I read, I write, I yoga, I watch movies and television shows from the 1960’s.   These things have always brought me pleasure and comfort.  And now I need them more than ever.

I bought a fit bit about a month before this global pandemic entered our reality.  Ironically, I had big plans to mall walk.  I could pair my love of window shopping with my goal to walk more.  Why haven’t I thought of this before?  I have major allergies and being outside is not always the best thing for this daughter of a redhead. So, mall walking seemed like such a fabulous idea.

As usual, life never quite turns out like we thought it would.  Newsflash!  Don’t sweat the small things and remember – it’s all small things.  So, just as soon as I decided to get a little exercise in an environment that would suit my fair skin, the world closes.  Seriously, shopping malls all over America were closed for business.  Our governor in Virginia required us all to stay home.

I decided to bite the bullet and began to walk outside.  However, spring had arrived, and pollen was making my red car look totally yellow.  Times being what they are, I adjusted!  Wow, what an opportunity for growth!  I would deal with what life gave me and just go with the flow.   I needed to adjust my barometer and how I measured things.  I could deal with it and adjust (major revelation) and go with the flow.

As I walked outside, I began to hear the birds sing and see squirrels scampering through the woods.  Wow, there is a world outside my condo’s walls.  And I could become a part of it, walking with my mask on.   A new normal has been an awakening for me to adjust my expectations.

It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react.  I have always known this, yet now, I am really trying to live like this.  It has enabled me to be very thankful for everything that comes my way.  By not having a preconceived notion of what to expect, I just let life happen and then react.  By doing this I have been able to slow down, breathe and GROW.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash