I wonder how many people will go with COVID as their C word.
Or, coronavirus. It’s difficult for me to, even if I wanted to. Friday is my #GratitudeAndShit day, and pandemic viruses don’t make the cut. I am grateful, however, to have this new reality upon me. It’s not been easy, but there have been some pluses on small scales.
It’s exhausting to read post after post about how to work efficiently from home.
I haven’t found that. There are small gains. There’s stuff like birds on my bird feeder and tortilla chips in my pantry to serve enough distraction to get me off track. But I’m eating less fried food and takeout, more conscious that I’d better watch my intake.
I’m not getting in those steps at Target and hustling to the bus stop these days.
I scoured my journal to find C words for this post. Amazingly, I hadn’t written anything about cookies. Lately. Or candy corn. Mmm. Or hell, the Colorado Rockies! Or Catherine Lloyd Burns. She played Malcolm’s teacher on Malcolm in the Middle. Always loved her.
C things I’m grateful for …
Conversations. We’ve had a few here at the house lately. Not always heavy, but maybe some we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Also, by Zoom with co-workers, who needed a bit of human interaction. No one taught us how to care for our mental health in a pandemic.
Chapters. This feels like a few new chapters opening in life, not only for me, but for others. We’ve all spun down our own roads for the moment, and won’t it be interesting to see everyone again when it’s all over? I’m hoping my chapters are good ones.
Tryon Center. It’s the building where I work. Well, I did for a while. My stuff’s still there, including some leftovers from before the outbreak. (Sorry, guys.) It’s historic and we might not be there forever, but I love taking up working residence in a place with a story.
Camdyn. She and Hayden have gotten along famously being cooped up. She is kind. She’s handling things well. She was the conference’s leading scorer as a freshman before the germ took hold. If losing the season bothers her, she’s not showing it.
Can. No, not a physical can, although I have a few Pepsi No Sugar cans around to help with the caffeine fixation. I’m grateful I can work from home. That I can escape the news when I need. That I can talk to Madison on the phone and order groceries on my phone.
What about you? What are you grateful for this week?
#AtoZChallenge
A is for Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, Adam and Avril, and Amidala
B is for Bonnie Marie Williams, voiceover superhero, a #GirlsRock interview
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Just a dad ... 
I love that Fridays are your #Gratitude&Shit days, and you’ve got a pretty impressive list of C entries. I’m certainly grateful for conversations which seem to be taking on new meaning in many cases, and your point about new chapters is something I suspect we’re all thinking about. It will indeed be interesting to see what’s on the next page. I saw the first tulip leave popping up in the garden today and I’m definitely celebrating that.
Thanks, Deborah! Some of these conversations, I hope, will shape what we do after the pandemic. Tulips and budding trees and an all-star game of Audubon birds at my feeders are all worth a celebration.
Today I am grateful that my Hubby is fortunate to have a job he can do from home so the paychecks keep rolling in.
Yes! Paychecks for the win. I’m grateful to be working still, too.
Love this #GratitudeandShit LOL. All such great things to be grateful for. Sounds like the girls are adjusting. Im glad we finally got a hoop for the front yard so I can unplug my boys and send them outside. And for the steaks we cooked at home Sunday. Man is it cheaper that way! Im thankful for a husband who is essential and still has to go to work both jobs but that, it means we will keep the roof over our head and food in our bellies. MMMM tortilla chips! Hope its a relaxing weekend for you!
Thanks, Kim – it’s pretty honest! I usually do 10, but kept it short because of the #AtoZChallenge. Good call on the hoop – my girls have a fence out back they take shots at. It’s kept the fence from being obliterated!
Steak at home is the best – you don’t have to tip, and you can cook it just right. (I want to swipe one of those restaurant knives, though.)
I love the good things going on where you are, Kim. Hope you’ve had an awesome weekend.
i’m grateful for health and wellness for my family and friends and C is chocolate.
Chocolate is a mighty C, beth.
#chocolatestrong
I also like Los Angeles except when it comes to their sports teams, I’m totally #BeatLA.
I’m so down with that – lakers, dodgers, etc. #BeatLAEveryday
Your can-do attitude is inspiring.
Thank you!
I’m grateful for the beautiful slow pace and I can almost feel Mother Earth in her big exhale. She needs this. Great post, Eli.
Oh, Mother Earth is loving that part of it. Her creatures, too. Thanks, Carrie.
Loved your post. Seems you’re doing great at home. Here, the pace is more frantic than before, I was accustomed to have the house just for me, sharing lunch with my son, and dinner with the full family. Now with husband doing home office and the kids having online classes, we have a very strict schedule to avoid chaos. Although it’s a huge change, I’m grateful for it, because we are team working.
Thank you! We’re doing our best. There’s some adjustment, but everyone has a corner to retreat to if needed! Luckily the broadband has held up! You guys seem to be doing pretty awesome, too.
I love this idea! More people should be grateful for what they have, even if it’s a small thing. Personally, I’m grateful to have a Car to drive to work, Cash coming in while the economy will undoubtedly fall and a random Conversation with my co-workers about the hypocrisy of the current situation – a conversation that made me realize that not everyone is a brainless sheep LOL.
Thanks, D! It’s all about perspective. Love the Cs you came up with!
I’m glad that you didn’t pick COVID or Coronavirus for your C post. I, too, have been stepping away from the news. I catch up with reputable sources when I need to, but then I walk away from the tv and stay off Facebook. It either makes me angry or anxious, and neither are emotions I want to have right now. Lots to be grateful for!
I wonder how many C posts were COVID-related. I didn’t watch the news once yesterday, Lecy. I like that one of our local stations has keyed on positive stories from this. All the news I need is that we should stay home and hope for the best. In that, as you mentioned, we’ve plenty to be thankful for – including this time to step away from the frantic pace of life.
I have read so many posts about Corona virus that my brain is exhausted. So glad to read about other things that start with the word C. With so many people home I am sure there are a lot more family conversations going on. The family next door is having a lot of conversations. Usually I can’t hear them….LOL
I’m with you, Cheryl. I’d like to try to make it the rest of the month without a COVID mention, although I’d hate to appear tone deaf. What are your neighbors talking about?