The New Norm

Our lives were busy and were fixin'(Southern slang for "going to") to get even busier. Between baseball season starting and the school year ending, I felt like all Rob and I discussed was our schedules and who could hang out with the boys so the other one could hold to their commitment. It got to the point where I carried a planner in my purse so, when I wasn't home, I could still look at our calendar to see when we were free. It got to the point where, a week and a half ago, I had a pity party. I cried to my parents and to Rob, telling them I just couldn't do it all anymore. That I was overly stressed out. It got to the point where we only sat down as a family to eat dinner together MAYBE twice a week. And a lot of our "family meals" consisted of fast food, cereal or quesadillas. I'd fall into bed, exhausted, every night.
And then the Coronavirus hit. And our worlds got turned upside down. But I think it's a good thing. Despite people getting sick and untimely deaths, it's brining people back together again (within social distancing of course). We have hung out, as a family, more in the past 6 days than we have the past 6 months. We are enjoying homecooked family meals again. We are reconnecting with each other without it revolving around a calendar. I am learning how to slow down and just take it all in. For right now, I'm not on any schedule other than a flexible homeschool schedule. (And Rob has made it a priority to be here to help out as needed.) I have limited my time away from home to only things that are necessary. I am learning that it's okay not to live and die by a "To-Do' list. What doesn't get done will be there tomorrow.
This whole Coronavirus scare has not been fun for me, personally. The main reason is if it cancels out the remainder of the school year. I was looking forward to all of the end-of-the-year festivities (especially because it's P's last year in elementary school). And I can't imagine that last Friday was the way I said goodbye to my students for the year- sending them off with an elbow bump and a "See ya after Springs Break!" That part of all this is not fun because then there won't be the closure I crave at end of the school year.
But, other than that, there is silver lining in all of this mess. The boys are rocking our new homeschool routine and for that I am extremely grateful! They are the "easy" students, that don't give the teacher any problems and for that I am grateful as well.
Despite the bad, there is good. There is peace. There is calm. And there is family time. So, for now, I am grateful for our new norm.