“When the world moves too fast and you lose yourself in the chaos, introduce yourself to each color of the sunset. Reacquaint yourself with the earth beneath your feet. Thank the air that surrounds you with every breath you take. Find yourself in the appreciation of life.” -Christy Ann Martine

Lives have shifted. Worlds have collided. What was once a play space is now a workspace. What was once a kitchen table is now a classroom. Children are in a state of waiting, as we all are, for this invisible enemy to run its course. We’re waiting for life to return to a semblance of what we once deemed “normal”.

But what is normal, and is that something we truly long to return to?

Pre-quarantine times found us moving too fast and losing ourselves in the chaos of daily life. Many of us got caught up in the rat race of work, home, sleep, repeat. This ‘Groundhog Day’ effect didn’t allow us to stop, breathe and enjoy all of the little moments that made up our lives.

Now we are experiencing a different sort of Groundhog Day. One in which we spend more time with family, experience life without excess, and live simply. As repetitive as it may be, it’s also refreshing. Instead of rushing to school or work, we now step outside and breathe fresh morning air. Instead of hastily flopping our tired bodies into bed, we watch the sunset and play a few board games. Routines are changing and priorities are shifting.

Life is different than it was a few months ago, that is for certain. But is that such a bad thing? This break gives us the opportunity to reflect on our old normal, and find the areas of our pre-Covid lives that could use a bit of Spring cleaning. It allows us to dust ourselves off and wake up refreshed and renewed, so that we can reintroduce ourselves to a new normal. Spend some time over the next few weeks (We know you have it!) to reflect upon what you’d like your new normal to look and feel like. What do you need to let go of today in order to accomplish those things in the not-so-distant future?