Yokemates

We all want our days to be picture perfect. Waking up from a restful night’s sleep. Having a good hair day. Birds chirping outside. Sun shining. Clothes fitting well. No family drama or traffic to deal with. A productive day at work (or home) and an enjoyable evening.  Problem is… We're tempted to believe that others live that way but that we rarely do. Why? Because on this ‘reality show’ of true life, it’s messy. In fact, we’re blessed if even one of those things happen in a day! If I could, I'd go for a good hair day everyday. Somehow, it just makes everything that day to seem a bit brighter (Silly,  huh?!) Or maybe we just don’t notice when things are going good? I bet there are lots of mornings when I don’t really appreciate the fact that my clothes fit and the sun is shining. The only time I notice that there is no traffic to deal with is after a trip to town following a hay-hauling tractor (at 15 mph) or  when I actually have to stop for construction ...

While our country begins the various phases of reopening, I have found that I too must face the reality of reopening. Reopening my time, my expectations, my freedoms, my energy and my heart. Without realizing it, I have been on autopilot for the past weeks of the pandemic. Not unlike life before COVID19, I simply did what needed to get done when it needed to get done. My list seems to be never ending, and I have no doubt that yours is too. The lists that represent each of our individual lives vary dramatically depending on our personal circumstances, our states, our homes, our jobs and our family’s dynamics. For some, the pace has slowed down a bit since mid-March. For others, the pace is more hectic than ever. And yet, we have all shared many similarities over these weeks – face masks, hand sanitizer, social distancing and toilet paper shortages! As each state eases restrictions, the stress of our circumstances will ease a bit as well. Or, will it? Any time a new normal beco...