Outside, it’s chaos—it’s surreal. Some people are seriously ill, and others are dying. Some find this worrying, while others prefer not to think about it too much. As for me, I’m just taking a deep breath.
People are going out wearing masks. People are disinfecting everything, everywhere, all the time. Some judge those who don’t, while others make fun of those who do. We’re hunting for rainbows and listening to the government’s daily addresses to the public. We talk about it, we read about it, we write about it: this virus is everywhere. As for me, I’m just breathing.
This isn’t a spring like any other, and it won’t be a summer like any other either. Our plans are changing, and we have no choice but to accept it. I could be disappointed, angry, scared, sad, and more. Instead, I’m taking a breath.
For once, I’m forced to take my time. No more mind racing over everything and nothing. No more frantic running around aimlessly. My only obligation is to put in my work hours, from the comfort of my home. Aside from that, I just have to live. Live with my little ones and my husband, huddled together in our little cocoon, with all the luck in the world that we’re doing just fine. We move around and get some fresh air. We build and tinker. We dance and create. We’re confined together in a beautiful bubble. Despite the worries, despite the emotional roller coaster, and despite the huge wave of uncertainty washing over us, we breathe.
Today, I’m savoring the moment. Because I know a time will come when we’ll have to leave this bubble, and it will certainly be heartbreaking. I don’t know what the coming year has in store for us, but I vow to do everything I can to hold on to little pieces of this cocoon. When the frantic rush resumes and my mind starts racing again, I’ll close my eyes and remember our bubble. I’ll revisit it as many times as it takes to feel its many benefits over and over again.
Because there aren’t only downsides to what we’re going through, and because we choose what to focus on. Without denying the situation, choose to breathe.