Have you noticed how time sensitive TV commercials suddenly are? I sense a switch from consumerism to community. They describe the moment of time we are experiencing; their tone is quiet, their focus on family, friends and reaching those in need. There are touching photos and profound words dancing across the screen inviting us into a new way of seeing.
Much of what we read suggests we are all going through the same thing, but I don't believe that for a second. For some the quarantine is a gift. It is about re-connecting with family. For others it is about loneliness, home alone. There are millions of families and teachers learning how to learn & teach from a distance. I feel as though we are fine financially, but I say that loosely. Who knows where our investments are headed, all our funds need to support us til death. Will we have enough? Will there be enough to comfort Russ as his body breaks down? That seems selfish to even think about when there are folks living paycheck to paycheck and out of work. What must that feel like? Perhaps they too have an illness or a family of 5 to feed or a mortgage. What would that feel like?
It may be the same storm disrupting our lives, but our journeys are different. I can only express how we are handling it. The isolation has a way for forcing me to re-evaluate needs versus wants. It has not really been that hard to shop for groceries once every two weeks. It has not been difficult at all to tuck my credit card away and purchase nothing... no gas, no 'wants', no garden supplies. It has generated within me a time to reconnect with myself.
Life in this 'always-on' society leaves us very little time for self. Those 'someday' projects pile up, for... well... someday. But during these stay-at-home days 'someday' became now and out came the quilt I began more than 3 years ago! Quilting is not very hard, but it does require a quiet mind and patience. There is lots of shuffling between the sewing machine and the iron, slow and methodical. As I did the quilt square dance, Russ was having a hard day. Things were not quite right. His balance was off as were his concentration, his speech and his thinking. It left me pondering as I watched the needle pierce the fabric in a rhythmic timing. Worry, pray, love, care, hope...I will make this into a prayer quilt filled with thousands of stitched prayers. When it has been machine stitched, I will add the ties and have folks tie a prayer into the quilt for Russ. It will shroud him in love.
You see, that would likely not have happened without this stay-at-home mandate. In every house I'm sure a similar story is unfolding. People are investing is self, connecting with family and taking time to be innovative, the perfect opportunity for our human hearts to reconsider our path. Prior to the pandemic, perhaps we were beholden to a cumbersome and inauthentic life, afraid to step past the routine. Well my routine shifted and it suddenly became OK to re-evaluate.
We have made it 3 weeks with just the two of us for company; no shopping trips, no stores or library or picnics at parks. It was a time for 'just us'. It was a time for me to be with Russ and see, with unbridled awe, his amazing grace as a person with Parkinson's. I may be under 'house arrest', but I can move about with ease. It forced me to see the hours and hours and hours he is under 'chair arrest'. This time has been an opportunity for me. I prayed with each stitch of the quilt that our time together will be stitched in love and kindness. I pray that the rest of our life together will be about unity, love, care and not day to day minutia. I pray we will make it about the important stuff. This forced time together has allowed opportunity to discover our truest selves and I pray that remains vivid in our hearts.