Here it is. I’m going to say it. I’m not going back.
I do not want to return to life as it was in early 2020.
And I had a beautiful, wonderful, successful life.
Suddenly (real sudden, right?), I’ve found some time to reflect back on life before COVID-19.
You’d think there be a sense of yearning. But for me. No.
There is a word that keeps surfacing in my mind for that time.
A word that perfectly describes my life before this mandatory stay at home order.
ABSENT.
I was absent from my health, both physical and mental.
I was absent from my relationships.
I was absent. Driving my 3 kids to endless hours of practice because kids are expected to be professional athletes in 2020 (don’t even get me started on academic expectations).
I was absent, stuck on countless plane rides and in endless hours in traffic.
I was absent. My days filled with phone calls and meetings, that while productive, felt empty.
I was absent from activities that fill my soul with joy like gardening, baking and playing with my kids.
I was absent. Filling social media with pictures of a happy life telling myself how nice it is to keep in touch this way.
But I was absent from human interaction. Isn’t that ironic now?
I was busy. Real busy. ALL. THE. TIME. BUSY.
But I was absent from learning new things and adventure.
I was absent from love.
I was absent from home.
But here I am.
HOME.
My new word.
It’s both a physical place and now a state of mind.
Home.
It’s where I always want to come back to when things “are normal again”.
Only this time I’ll Make Home Magical.
And I don’t mean, Pinterest, social media magical.
I mean, I will cherish every simple, mundane, magical moment because I’ve been missing home.
I will Make My Home Magical with moments that fill my soul with joy.
Let me sidetrack this for a moment, because I while I share my feelings that are sometimes optimistic to a fault, I also know things are terrible right now.
People are sick. Really sick.
People have lost jobs. Record numbers of people. Friends. Family. Lost jobs.
People are hungry without access to food.
People are stressed.
People are sad.
Businesses are closed.
Schools are closed.
Places of worship are closed.
Friends are missed.
Families are missed.
But. Wait.
Let me go back to my optimistic perspective.
Today doctors & scientists from all over the world are working together to defeat this illness.
Today alongside those doctors & scientists, politicians, business owners, artists, athletes, old, young, men, women, black, white, gay, straight and every walk of life are praying together that we become united to finding a solution for not only this, but other life challenges.
Today I watched a teenager put a handwritten letter in our mailbox for my teenager, because this felt more intimate and personal than another Snap Chat or Tik Tok or text message.
Today this generation is deciding how we will fill our days when life is “normal” again.
Today they are deciding what is important and it looks different than it did just a few short weeks ago.
Today the world is thinking about transforming businesses, so they are more efficient and prosperous but also more meaningful and personal.
Today the world is healing together.
Today we can be grateful for new beginnings.
Today we are making home magical.
Today I will make home magical by celebrating a birthday of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
Today I will make home magical by starting a garden.
Today I will make home magical by planting trees.
This is my story.
Today I will make home magical because I’m present for my kids and husband.
Today I will make home magical, because it is my favorite place to be.
Today I will start my story of how I will make home magical tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
Tomorrow I will make home magical, by working virtually.
Tomorrow I will make home magical, by helping my kids learn about life.
Tomorrow I will make home magical by going for a walk with my dog at lunch.
Tomorrow I will make home magical by calling a friend from my favorite chair instead of my car.
Tomorrow I will make home magical.
What is your story? How will you make home magical?
