Thriving in a #StayHome World

If you had asked me 10 days ago to predict what life would be like right now, I would have been egregiously off mark. I felt the media was being its sensational and opportunistic self, bombarding people with fear mongering and scare tactics.

It's a humbling experience to dig into the facts, speak to friends in the healthcare arena, and read about families stripped of their loved ones and their health. So, I stopped rebelling and, instead, began mourning.

Mourning lost freedom, mourning a quiet house not overrun with wifi warfare, mourning conversations that didn't contain coronavirus, mourning an inbox barren of "what we're doing for COVID-19," mourning income shifts, mourning the ability to simply go out for breakfast or a sushi dinner, and mourning the long-anticipated Hawaiian vacation I would have taken with my preschooler this week.

In lieu of dismissing my feelings as selfish, I gave myself one week to grieve. First world problems or not, I needed to embrace the hurt, the sadness, the frustration and the confusion. On the other side, I see it's time to establish a new norm.

cultivating resources
Almost unknowingly, I have been spending a lot of time over the last week cultivating resources. Here's what I have to share:

• Scholastic stepped up with at-home learning for pre-k through 9th: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html (free books and resources)
• Educational sites by subject:
• Comprehension: https://readtheory.org/
• Linguistics: https://www.duolingo.com/
• Math, Social Studies, ELA: https://www.freckle.com/
• Science and History: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/
• Coding: https://www.codecademy.com/
• Virtual happy hour, virtual birthday and virtual collaboration via https://zoom.us/
• Sending gifts and pick-me-ups to others: https://www.cratejoy.com/gifting/holiday-shop/ or vino https://www.winc.com/
• Workouts that keep you vital and not vegging: https://www.onepeloton.com/app or https://www.lifetime.life/lp/video-workouts.html

cultivating c.a.l.m.
Now for something a bit more mindful and soul-stretching. Here's a mantra I'm using to keep the peace within and help me reflect the love of God to everyone:

I invite you to stay c.a.l.m. and be a positive force during uncertain times. Much love.