Silver Linings

So. We're all at home now, yeah?

Alex still has to go into the office, but I think he spends time with fewer people every day than I do in my home, so he's okay.

We're hanging in. I've been writing and mostly keeping to a schedule with my kiddos so we don't lose our damn minds.

I am a GREAT mom.

That was Tuesday. Things have deteriorated.

I am a TERRIBLE mom.

If things are feeling a little rough right now, I wanted to try to cheer you up because there are definitely some silver linings and I am going to tell you about them.

The introverts won! This is probably not a silver lining if you are an extrovert, but as someone who doesn't really like to spend that much time with people, I feel like I have been ready for social distancing for my Entire. Goddamn. Life. I've been getting exactly the kinds of interactions I like: friendly, brief, from a loooong way away.

We get to sleep in! I could not be happier about this. Normally I have to wake up before 7 to make sure my kids are on their buses and out of my hair. These days I am waking up at a very civilized 9am. Or 9:30. Or today it was 10, but we already established that Thursday has gone downhill.

There is no end of time to work out! Usually I have to sit down every Sunday and figure out where I can cram in my workouts throughout the week to make sure they get done. Now, with no errands, a commute that consists of a trip down a staircase, and everything in the universe being cancelled, I pretty much have my pick of times to workout. I use my Peloton equipment, do some outside stuff, and do Peloton strength and stretching workouts. If you are lost about what to do, consider getting a free 90-day trial membership of Peloton Digital. You don't need a bike or a treadmill and you can stream all kinds of workouts on  your phone or tablet. And if you decide you want to buy the Peloton equipment because I told you it was awesome, use my referral code (CQDC58) and we both get free stuff.

We're working through the older food in our freezer and pantry! Hey, look! There's a frozen pizza from 2019! No need to go to the store—pop that shit in the oven! Etcetera.

Traffic is awesome! On the rare occasions I do have to go out, there is almost no traffic. In fact, I think I'm going to take advantage of this and have Jack do a ton of driving practice while this continues. I have to drive into DC once a week to do some work at my office and it takes half the time to get there. And there is parking right outside my building! And at the post office! And at the bank! It is bizarre.

I have cleaned and decluttered my entire house! Ha! Just kidding. I've thought about it, but...

I get to spend some solid quality time with Katie before she heads off to college! I love this one. She can't see friends. She doesn't have a busy schedule. At this point, I'm the best game in town and I am taking full advantage of it.

I get to spend a ton of time with my favorite people in the world! Along those same lines, I've gotten some pretty good time in with my other kiddos and Alex too. Thank God my kids are old enough to take care of themselves, but not too old to run away from me when I approach. I really like my family and I'm glad that I get to hang out with them.

People are good! I mean, not all of them, obviously. Most people are the worst. But I keep seeing examples of people doing good things. People are delivering cookies to sick people and leaving them on the porch. Artists and art institutions have hosted so many free, virtual performances and tours. People are looking out for each other and sharing what they can. Small example: One person in my neighborhood created a scavenger hunt featuring unique landmarks so people on their walks could have some fun. (Guess who's on the scavenger hunt?)

That's right! Claude the mailbox bear!

It could be worse! I've read all of the apocalypse books and usually with the pandemic comes the crashing of the infrastructure, anarchy, and eventually it all ends with people fighting each other with knives. We still have electricity, internet, gas, delivery services, and pretty much everything else we need. We haven't yet come to the point where we're looking for sharp sticks with which to defend ourselves.

I firmly believe in silver linings. I've had disappointments over the past couple weeks and will continue to have more in the coming weeks. I do acknowledge that this crisis has left some people in ruin. I am trying to do my part by safely patronizing local businesses and donating what I can and I know it's not enough. I hate that part. It's bad, you guys, but there are shiny edges.