This is my 100th blog post. I started writing at the very beginning of quarantine, my goal being to share what I knew would be utter chaos in our household with others. I knew it would be a challenging road, not just for us, but for everyone, whether because of financial burdens, stressful jobs, no jobs, a houseful of kids, or a houseful of silence. My hope (drink) was that in opening the doors of our home to our personal triumphs and struggles as we navigated the road before us, (drink) my readers would feel a sense of community; a sense that they're not alone.
As a reader, I hope that every so often, a chord was struck - when your kids took over the living room with forts, maybe you were able to reference my own fort grievances. Or when you wanted to touch every avocado to test for ripeness, maybe you recalled my grocery store post and laughed instead of cried.
In hindsight, when I started this mission, I never could have fathomed the twists and turns this country, and our lives as a result, have taken. If you had told me 100 days ago that gas prices would reach under $1/gallon or that sending the kids to school in the fall, even, would be questionable, I would never have believed you. Or that this would be how the how the hooks in my entry way would have looked?
Or how about the fact that my hair hasn't seen a color job in probably five months now? Or that it would be unusual to see an UN-masked person in public? Or that there would be one way aisles in stores and stickers at checkout indicating where to stand? And the Plexiglas! So much Plexiglas. And if I (drink) had known that March 13th was the last time I would dine out in a restaurant for three months, as the meme says, I would have ordered dessert.
The interesting thing is, if I had known all this in the beginning, I would have taken it a lot harder than I did as it all unraveled. I think (drink) humans have an inherent ability to roll with the punches. Sure, life gets hard, and for some, those trying times can become clouded and very dark. Despite the state of our world right now, though, there is still optimism; there's still silver linings and laughter and hope.
With that, I want to share a video that was shared with me a couple months ago and has stuck with me.
Makes you think, doesn't it? I've done a lot of thinking these past 100 days. Writing this blog started with the objective to lift others' spirits. But, unexpectedly, it has done just that for me. It has challenged me to reflect on each day and find a lesson or humor or sometimes just vent. There have (drink) been ups and downs and I thank you for allowing me to share them with you. I'm looking forward to continuing the journey and finding more laughter along the way.
Once in awhile you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right. - Grateful Dead