Remember 1,000 days ago when people started doing puzzles and home projects?

Remember when we were side-eyeing everyone to see how we were supposed to endure the shelter-in-place status?

Remember when people were sprinkling sentences with phrases like “extra” and “free” time?

 

Some of you still have a strong puzzle game. Some have lost momentum.

Some of you have nearly started your own DIY reality show. Some of you have thrown out the unrealistic expectations of how much you “should” be accomplishing.

Some of you are remaking yourself with the extra time. Some of you feel sunk by your surplus of hours.

 

I find myself vacillating between determination and defeat, contentment and criticism, peace and procrastination, motivation and moping. This is my normal.

 

We are living history. There is no playbook. There is no road map. However, there is plenty of margin to give ourselves space to spread out and feel all the things.

 

Don’t stuff.

Don’t ignore.

Don’t shame.

 

Take each day as it comes.

Look for what is good.

Discard the rest.

Be kind to yourself.

Excavate hope.

 

One discipline I am working on is looking for fun, joy, and favorite things as the long days turn into weeks that slip into months. Here are a few of the treasures I’ve collected.

 

→ My favorite quarantine memes.

 

 

→ My favorite advice from one of my mentors.

 

→ My favorite memories from the last month.

√ Time away outdoors because we were crawling up the walls in our house. The opportunity to be together is a gift; we just have to learn how to absorb it all.

 

√ My girl brought me a chai tea from my favorite coffee shop. I did not ask for it, but she knew it would brighten my day! It did.

 

√ We tapped into our inner artists, grabbed the box of chalk, and tagged a few of the neighbor’s houses to celebrate birthdays. Since we have to find new ways to do old things, we might as well make it fun!

 

If we don’t bend in this season, we will break.

If we don’t look for the lovely among the rubble, it won’t be visible.

If we don’t cultivate hope, we’ll drift into hopelessness.

 

Collect treasures today.

Share the beauty of what you find with others.

 

We’re going to make it, friends.

Alyssa ♥

P.S. If you missed the last Quarantine Chronicles post, you can find it here.