It has been a year since receiving that first call ” the city will be on lock down, so if you are planning to leave do it now.”
It has been a year since my children attended a full day of school inside of the school building. It has actually been a full of absence in many ways. We have missed out on the normalcy of what we called life and it has brought us all to a new place in time.
March 2020, we were all glued to the television watching our cities move in different directions in order to residents safe. I have recorded some of the things that we did in our home in order to get through this time, however as we continue to live in this reality there is something about thinking about the first day it all hit the fan – one year ago.
Today, we are still taking care of Bash’s class pet fish “Mr Blue”, because what should have been a quick 2 week break to clean things out turned into a long term stay and we would not have had it any other way. He is officially a part of our year’s story.
A year ago in March, we celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday, I attended my last in person photo shoot for National Women’s day and up to the day before lock down I was mingling with other Women in Business at a Hey Mama event. I have not seen so many of those women in person in a year, however we show up on zoom meets and networking calls because today, that is the new normal.
Social distance has now become the norm, zoom and video parties are the highlight of birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations. Netflix, live award shows, and even Broadway has managed to entertain the entire family during this time.
Families have grown and experienced losses. The ones that have grown, will welcome, what the media is calling “covid or corona babies.” While others have separated after learning that the person they had to spend 24 hours with 7 days a week may not be the person for them. I can truly say that it has been a roller coaster in our home. The solidarity brought us closer in way where I would never want to quarantine with any other people, however once wellness and learning how to live under these circumstances became a thing I retracted with the once again busy body life….(that’s for another share.)
However NYC’s shutdown was unimaginable, yet it did happen. It had to happen!
Our entertained super busy life was put on pause for the sake and safety of us all. As some businesses learned how to pivot some did fall. I know that we are all thankful for the ones that adapted and grew during this time, even if it meant holding on by a string. The New York City Center created a wonderful playlist to keep us entertained check it out . Broadway allowed for us to actually watch “Hamilton” on television in our own homes.
Now today March 2021 we are all reflecting on the year and adjusting to the permanent changes. Leaps, bounds and milestones have been made. Deaths have left many uneasy, but more knowledgeable on how to care for themselves.
As I recently decided after 11 months to get brave and drive to sunny blue skies and the smell of outdoors for the sake of the kiddos. I learned that doing what our gut tells us to do is usually our souls having conversations with our minds and its meant for us to answer. I realized that I needed that restless, endless ground hog day feeling to go away. I needed it in my own way. My wish for all of the people who have survived and transitioned through this time is for them to receive a moment of silence for themselves. If a person to talk to is the only mental silence that can occur; then do so.
Finding Peace is a game changer and I wish you all this very thing.
