My wife is a health coach, and has been a great guide to the kids and me as we try remain sane through the surreal times we live in. Erin suggests things like practicing self care, deep breathing, eating healthy whole foods and getting exercise. This is wise advice, and I can tell you from experience these all work way better than locking yourself in the bathroom and crying.
It was a nice day, so I decided to go for a run. To put it kindly, my fitness routine has been a bit off balance lately. That is actually putting it very kindly since the very term “fitness routine” implies that exercise occurs in some kind of regular pattern.
Anyway, once my legs got over the initial confusion, and I got into a rhythm, the run felt great. The fresh air was invigorating. I usually run around this little pond near our house, and today I saw a sign saying “Sidewalk Closed.” Odd, I thought. But I didn’t see any obstructions ahead, so like most Americans, I ignored the clearly stated instructions in front of me.
And like most Americans, that decision did come back to haunt me. It was a ways down the trail, but there were indeed a couple of random closures that forced me to literally jump over a creek and do a little off-trail running to make it around. I don’t honestly know why these sections were closed, but in the current state of things it did make me think, “Can sidewalks get COVID-19? Do they also need to be quarantined?”
I did eventually make it home, however, and quickly realized that I had locked myself out of the house.
I knew Erin was on a call and the kids were playing upstairs out of doorbell earshot, so I had to think quickly. “I’ll get the hide-a-key in the garage,” I thought. User note: combination lock hide-a-keys only work if you remember the combination.
So I took this as a hint from the universe to enjoy the fresh air and run a bit further. It was definitely re-energizing to be out and moving around. By the time I did another circle around, Erin was off her call and I was able to get back in the house. In the end, I was glad for the extra time, even if my post-run wheezing probably had my neighbors thinking I’d come down with the virus.
Back in the house, it was a pretty upbeat day with the kids. They helped Mom bake cookies in the morning, and did some arts and crafts. Amelia kindly made decorations for St. Patrick’s Day and hung them around the house.
Henry enjoyed playing with Mad Matter, which is a product for people who think, “Hey, I like the idea of Play-Doh, but it isn’t quite messy enough.” It’s fun and kids love it, and there always are imperceptible bits of it on the floor that stick to my sock and wind up worked into the carpet somewhere.
Later in the afternoon, we had a great walk with our dog, Asta, probably leaving bits of Mad Matter all over the park. After that, we FaceTimed with friends and then had a lovely St. Patrick’s Day dinner of fish and chips. Erin and I enjoyed some Guinness and Irish whiskey, and we made our way through another day of social distance.
So like most everyone, we are doing our best to make the most of the strange circumstances we now find ourselves in. It does focus you, and it is a good reminder of what is really important in life.
Amelia always has a way of excellent way of framing things for me. We’ve tried our best to honestly explain the situation to her, and have described COVID-19 as a very bad kind of cold that lots of people are getting. While we were cleaning up after dinner, she told me that she was sad about having to be away from school, but was even more sad for all those people who are getting that cold.
The lesson is that it is OK to feel emotions about our own challenges and life changes right now, but also important to remember there are those whose challenges are much greater. Ultimately, staying in and doing what we’re doing will keep people from getting that cold, and that is what is important.
Also, pay attention to signs. Very important.
