The Headlines:
Since COVID-19 our entire country is stuck inside.
Are you going to panic?
Or...?
The other day my neighbor asked me if I wanted some lemons. Her trees produced too many and she wanted to share if I was up for some.
Ahhhhh.... YES!
See, I like to "decorate" with produce. It just brings a fresh, Spring feel to the house. Little did I know that those lemons would come in handy. I would not just use them for decoration.
Since the Corona Virus, aka COVID-19, came racing into our lives it's pretty clear these are unprecedented modern times. We've heard much about past pandemics. Like in a far off, historical way. Including the Asian Flu, Spanish Flu, AIDS. For the record, turns out Ebola was not a Pandemic but an epidemic since it was confined to West Africa.
With today's Medicine many of us thought this day would never come. But it's here. And it has a lot of us concerned, uncomfortable and downright scared.
So now the question is... how are you handling COVID-19? What are you showing to your kids? Who are you becoming? Really? Think about it. Are you fighting for toilet paper or picking up some goods for your neighbor. Taking or giving? Are you praying or pouting?
Do not get me wrong. It's bad. Some people are affected greatly and sadly by this virus. My cousin is one of them. She was in the ICU in the west side of Washington State for about a week, doctors say she almost didn't make it. She is not 75. She's my age. Which means a young chick. Just kidding. Let's leave it at - not 75. She's now healing at home and is expected to be okay. We continue to hope.
I'm really not trying to be some high on herself Mom who has no worries or concerns. I know this is not good. I am aware people are losing their jobs, struggling to make ends meet, worried for their children and their grandmothers. I am one of them.
But I'm also choosing to see beyond all that is horrible. Stop and think: Has there ever been a time or will there ever be a time again that we will be with our families with nothing to do but be together? In fact, quite the opposite. When this is over - because it will be over - we're all going to have to get to work. We'll have a lot of catching up to do. The appointments will come back, sports will start, work will pick up. YOU WILL GO TO THE MALL and OUT TO DINNER.
Until then, consider this - those lemons - know what we did with them? We made lemonade for the first time. We made lemonade. Something so simple. Something we have never had the "time" to do before. What else are we doing? We're sleeping in. I am writing in this blog (which I never get to do)! We discuss, together, what we're having each night for dinner. I've seen families walking in our neighborhood. Never seen that before. We hang out in the backyard, the front yard. We watch TV shows together. In fact, we're running out.
Any ideas? Seriously, let me know. What do families watch these days?
I'm even playing basketball with my son (a first). My daughter is creating art for her room. All of these things were not happening 2 weeks ago. Instead, we were on a hamster wheel trying to catch up. Never stopping. Constantly running.
The world is a different place and while it's a change we didn't see coming it may be the 180 we needed. I ran in to my friend at Target today. We stayed (almost) 6 feet away and she said something I believe is true, "God is trying to get our attention." I agree with her. Someone (I choose to believe it's God) desperately wants to remind us to take a break, slow down and look up. See what's right in front of you. Appreciate what you have. Pay attention to it.
Now... grab hold of it.
Yesterday I watched the local news. I live in Arizona so I was watching CBS 5 and my good friend Paul Horton (we did news together years ago in WA state and then re-connected here) was doing the weather forecast FROM HIS HOME. His two adorable children were climbing all over him and it was precious. When will that happen again? Maybe never. But it's happening now.
This time will come to an end. We will be healthier. People will go back to work and school (thank you Jesus). The alarm will wake us up at 5:45 again. And then, this one moment in time, will be gone. That brief period of your personal history when we got to be together with no strings attached, nothing to do, no where to go... will be all over. We'll tell our grandkids about it in story book fashion and, contrary to popular belief now, one day, we may actually long for it.
Because the bottom line is, if you stay healthy, have food (toilet paper/paper towels) as long as you have some dollars (which lawmakers are about to roll out a stimulus) if you have a roof over your head... you and your family will be ok. You'll be fine. Remember that. Believe it. Tell your kids that... they need to see and hear it. Not from President Trump. From you.
Finally tonight, Sunday I saw 60 minutes. Haven't watched that show in a while either. They had a man by the name of Neil Kashkari, the current president of the National Reserve Bank and a former Treasury official who helped get us out of the 2008 economic crash and what he said was good. He admits this Corona Crisis will be a difficult financial situation that could get better or worse, depending on how long we stay "sick." But he also said something we need to hold on to - a message that is so important for us to remember right now (which covers yet goes beyond the financial assessment he was speaking to)... he said: we got through the last devestating financial crisis and we will get through this one.
Together.
And while we're waiting... make some Lemonade.
Here's to being cautious and careful, my friends, but not crazy.
Love and blessings,
Nicole
To see his Neil Kashkari's full interview on 60 Minutes click HERE
Pin for Later:
Since COVID-19 our entire country is stuck inside.
Are you going to panic?
Or...?
The other day my neighbor asked me if I wanted some lemons. Her trees produced too many and she wanted to share if I was up for some.
Ahhhhh.... YES!
See, I like to "decorate" with produce. It just brings a fresh, Spring feel to the house. Little did I know that those lemons would come in handy. I would not just use them for decoration.
Since the Corona Virus, aka COVID-19, came racing into our lives it's pretty clear these are unprecedented modern times. We've heard much about past pandemics. Like in a far off, historical way. Including the Asian Flu, Spanish Flu, AIDS. For the record, turns out Ebola was not a Pandemic but an epidemic since it was confined to West Africa.
With today's Medicine many of us thought this day would never come. But it's here. And it has a lot of us concerned, uncomfortable and downright scared.
Do not get me wrong. It's bad. Some people are affected greatly and sadly by this virus. My cousin is one of them. She was in the ICU in the west side of Washington State for about a week, doctors say she almost didn't make it. She is not 75. She's my age. Which means a young chick. Just kidding. Let's leave it at - not 75. She's now healing at home and is expected to be okay. We continue to hope.
I'm really not trying to be some high on herself Mom who has no worries or concerns. I know this is not good. I am aware people are losing their jobs, struggling to make ends meet, worried for their children and their grandmothers. I am one of them.
But I'm also choosing to see beyond all that is horrible. Stop and think: Has there ever been a time or will there ever be a time again that we will be with our families with nothing to do but be together? In fact, quite the opposite. When this is over - because it will be over - we're all going to have to get to work. We'll have a lot of catching up to do. The appointments will come back, sports will start, work will pick up. YOU WILL GO TO THE MALL and OUT TO DINNER.
Until then, consider this - those lemons - know what we did with them? We made lemonade for the first time. We made lemonade. Something so simple. Something we have never had the "time" to do before. What else are we doing? We're sleeping in. I am writing in this blog (which I never get to do)! We discuss, together, what we're having each night for dinner. I've seen families walking in our neighborhood. Never seen that before. We hang out in the backyard, the front yard. We watch TV shows together. In fact, we're running out.
Any ideas? Seriously, let me know. What do families watch these days?
I'm even playing basketball with my son (a first). My daughter is creating art for her room. All of these things were not happening 2 weeks ago. Instead, we were on a hamster wheel trying to catch up. Never stopping. Constantly running.
The world is a different place and while it's a change we didn't see coming it may be the 180 we needed. I ran in to my friend at Target today. We stayed (almost) 6 feet away and she said something I believe is true, "God is trying to get our attention." I agree with her. Someone (I choose to believe it's God) desperately wants to remind us to take a break, slow down and look up. See what's right in front of you. Appreciate what you have. Pay attention to it.
Now... grab hold of it.
Yesterday I watched the local news. I live in Arizona so I was watching CBS 5 and my good friend Paul Horton (we did news together years ago in WA state and then re-connected here) was doing the weather forecast FROM HIS HOME. His two adorable children were climbing all over him and it was precious. When will that happen again? Maybe never. But it's happening now.
This time will come to an end. We will be healthier. People will go back to work and school (thank you Jesus). The alarm will wake us up at 5:45 again. And then, this one moment in time, will be gone. That brief period of your personal history when we got to be together with no strings attached, nothing to do, no where to go... will be all over. We'll tell our grandkids about it in story book fashion and, contrary to popular belief now, one day, we may actually long for it.
Because the bottom line is, if you stay healthy, have food (toilet paper/paper towels) as long as you have some dollars (which lawmakers are about to roll out a stimulus) if you have a roof over your head... you and your family will be ok. You'll be fine. Remember that. Believe it. Tell your kids that... they need to see and hear it. Not from President Trump. From you.
Finally tonight, Sunday I saw 60 minutes. Haven't watched that show in a while either. They had a man by the name of Neil Kashkari, the current president of the National Reserve Bank and a former Treasury official who helped get us out of the 2008 economic crash and what he said was good. He admits this Corona Crisis will be a difficult financial situation that could get better or worse, depending on how long we stay "sick." But he also said something we need to hold on to - a message that is so important for us to remember right now (which covers yet goes beyond the financial assessment he was speaking to)... he said: we got through the last devestating financial crisis and we will get through this one.
Together.
And while we're waiting... make some Lemonade.
Here's to being cautious and careful, my friends, but not crazy.
Love and blessings,
Nicole
To see his Neil Kashkari's full interview on 60 Minutes click HERE
Pin for Later:
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