What If…We Start to Reopen Ourselves?

Is anybody else getting weary? 😟Are there others who crave conversations that don’t involve the C-word? Anyone else tired of being surprised by another person sharing conspiracy theories? How about the sometimes rude remarks about wearing or not wearing masks?😬

ME! 🙌🏻I am! Don’t take that the wrong way, though. I’m a firm believer in following the guidelines. I am not ready to run back into the 🌎world with no worries about the virus. While I understand the 💰economics to this, I know too many people who have dealt with the medical side as 🔬healthcare workers and patients to doubt it. Even as members of my family worry about unemployment and losing health insurance, we accept the responsibility to do whatever we have to do to keep ourselves and those around us safe.✅

But- for goodness sake- can we talk about something else? 👍🏻Anything else? 👊🏻Tell me what you’re watching on 📺TV, and please don’t let it be Tiger 🐯King. How about a 📚book you’re reading? Me? I’ve been into biographies during my quarantine. Did you try a new recipe? Pass it on! My new trials in the kitchen involve recipes for energy or protein balls- 😋yummy, nutritious, and easy to make! Take up bird watching from your patio? Share some pics. Are you 🌹gardening? Show me your plants! Planning a dream 🏖vacation for the next time you can travel? Tell me all about it- and don’t leave out any details. DIY projects? YES- give me all the steps to success.

Just talk about anything that you would have talked about in February- before this whole thing rocked our world.

We can live safely while 📝planning and 💫wishing and dreaming, just like we would at any other time. It’s all about adapting and adjusting. We’ve had weeks to come up with systems that work at 🏡home. The cleaning practices we have instituted in our house have become effortless. We understand things better now. We know it’s a good idea to check for Lysol or Clorox wipes at the market whether our bottles are empty or not. We get that toilet paper can still be a hot commodity. We realize that choosing our favorite brands at the store may not be possible, and we’ve gotten over it. You do what you have to do.😀

Now, it’s our turn to take those deliberate steps as the reopening process begins outside of our 🏡homes. Follow the protocols. If a store now requires a 😷mask or a certain number of people inside, just do it. ❌Don’t argue. It’s stressful enough for the employees. The new rules are in place to keep their workers and US safe. 💯We don’t have to understand all of them or even agree with them. We do have to follow the new rules. It’s no different than some we’ve been following for many years without complaining. “No 👚shirt, no 👟shoes, no service.” Just add “no 😷mask” to that. Or find a different place to shop. Weigh your risks and benefits- ultimately, make the decision for yourself.

Let’s talk about 👋🏻handwashing for a sec. Wasn’t that always a good practice? My brothers and I still repeat a line that our grandfather always said to us. When we would come inside from playing or before meals, he would say, “Germs don’t live on a bar of soap!” We knew what he meant as small children. Is it really that hard to wash our hands? 🙊Don’t tell me if you weren’t washing your hands before COVID-19 became a thing. I don’t want to know.😉

Guess what else? I bet we’ve already figured out what businesses and services are ✨essential to our lives. You know another important part of that? We all have different answers to that crucial question. Even more importantly, that is okay! I love to exercise outside or in my home. Gyms are not ✨essential to me, but many friends rely on them for workouts or 💵paychecks. You may not care about going to see a 🎭play while my son has no job until live theatre can happen again. The YouTube hack I attempted to remove 💅🏻dipped nail polish didn’t work, so that nail salon seemed essential to me. My ✂️hairstylist friends know it’s essential to have us in their chairs. I can 📚teach virtually (although I’m not comfortable with calling it teaching because it’s not the same to me), but having those kids in my classroom is essential.💖

See what I mean?

Some feel it’s time to get on with the process of reopening. Others want to make slow, calculated moves. Maybe even continuing to stay 🏡home as much as possible. The pandemic should continue to be a focus, and we need to be driven by 🔬data. Facts about the virus are changing rapidly as scientists continue to learn more about the ways it spreads and affects patients. 👀Stay alert. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Check those sources for new information. It’s time to talk about other things, though. 🎉

Reopening shouldn’t mean going back to normal. 😌We’re in an unprecedented time. Normal isn’t relevant anymore. That doesn’t mean you can’t find 💖joy in your craft projects. Or a 👟long run on the trail. Or the podcast you just discovered. Or a great cup of ☕️coffee. Or laughing with your kid. Or planning for a trip to Disney World! Don’t be afraid to live and to talk about it.

What if…we start to reopen ourselves? Will life look a bit different from now on? Yes, and it should. Quit looking for your old life. Search for the changes that will bring new 🌟memories instead- and tell me all about it!💖