Thoughts By Myself #3 - Life is changing.

A month ago, I got excited the night before we flew to Palm Springs, California, for a week in the desert sun. I was looking forward to hiking in the mountains. This evening I find myself excited because Walmart is opening at 6:00 AM for seniors; an hour before the store opens. In less than a month, I embraced my new status as part of the “frail elderly”.

Oh, how things have changed!

That is one of the hardest parts of this social distancing experience, so much seems out of my control. We cancelled our plans and excursions for the coming months, maybe longer. The cause is invisible. It is lurking in my fellow shoppers, waiting for me on the pump handles at the gas station, and ready to attack on the packages that hold our purchases. Even the simple handshake and hug are off-limits—INDEFINITELY!

I watch the Governor’s Press Conference every day at 2:00 PM. The news is terrible. We hear about infections beginning to spike, deaths increasing, and worries that hospital beds and supplies will be insufficient. Yet Governor DeWine, Dr. Acton, and Lt. Governor Husted are calming voices amid the crisis, their unspoken message is— “We’ve got this!”

I think about the little things in my life that I can control. I look forward to cooking, it has a concrete outcome that I can see, taste, and enjoy. I am working in the garden. I moved twenty-four bags of mushroom compost yesterday. We’ve begun doing yoga in the afternoon. We find it a calming practice and a good workout for strength and flexibility. Here’s a link. Try it. Yoga with Adrienne.

When everything seems in chaos, finding something specific to do wards off the anxiousness and feelings of impending doom.

Do something concrete today that moves your hands and feet. Cook a meal. Take a walk. Try out some yoga.