Back to Normal after a pandemic?

For the first time in probably a year, things are starting to feel different. 

Optimistic. With a sense of progress. 

And dreams of a return to what we might remember as “normal.”

But it’s got me thinking. 

Even as we all want to get back to a time where we can gather in groups without fear, hug our loved ones, travel about as we want, and just feel grounded…

Is your old “normal” what you really want to recapture? 

Or have we learned some things about our lives, ourselves and our society through all this that we want to hold on to?

To create a new, healthier, calmer and better balanced “normal?”

It’s worth thinking about.

For me, the past year has been tough for sure. I miss seeing my colleagues in person.

I miss family members who haven’t been able to travel. 

I miss sporting events, concerts, and long, carefree experiences filled with the energy of people around me. 

But I’ve grown in ways too, in ways I’d like to hold on to.

My diet has become healthier, with a return to the kitchen and a lot more cooking and experimenting, at home. I’ve tried new foods, worked up new recipes, and discovered some new favorites that will be part of a regular rotation of nourishing meals that, if I say so myself, I’ve gotten good at making. 

I’ve made a healthy dent in the stack of books that have piled up over the months, so I feel a tad bit smarter (Karen might say I have a ways to go there…).

And I’ve relished time outside, because at least in the beginning, exercising (even if it was just a walk around the neighborhood) was the best way to break up the monotony. 

I don’t want to give these things up. I know they are good for me. 

Perhaps there are things you’d like to hold on to too. 

Don’t get me wrong. This past year was difficult, on all of us. 

But I would challenge you to take stock, before we get completely out of this mess, and reassess. 

For I can bet that there’s at least a few things that you’ve gained during our shared “reset” that you’d like to hold on to.

I know for a lot of my readers, that means new skills, new closeness in their relationships, and maybe even a new pet brightening up your home.

Relish these things, and don’t lose them when we get back on the regular treadmill. 

Because it may be hard to get them back, unless we work on it. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and stay safe.