Well, I don't even know where to start if I'm completely honest. I've seen so many memes in the last week that have made me laugh, cry and frustrated. Personally, we have resorted to reading the news versus watching it play out on live TV. Our minds can only take in so much information in one day, let alone one hour. Our own emotions are enough ... the last thing I need is to insert emotions from hours of debate and live conversations from TV. So we read.
In the midst of all of this, (I say this with all sincerity and don't even mean to be funny) Scott and I are still married. Having two very different personalities and enneagrams (he is a 6 and I am an 8), we respond very differently to things. And the current conditions are a BIG thing.
So I'll be transparent. On Sunday, I was a 3 year old. I was impatient, temperamental, teary, and frustrated. Nothing was right. I resorted to cleaning out the entire refrigerator and created a system for how you actually clean up and wipe it down when you spill something rather than leaving it. (Insert eye-rolling here) Then I cleaned out the pantry from all stale and expired food. I lined up all the cans and boxes like the husband in the movie
Sleeping with the Enemy
. If you have not seen this movie, you must watch it while at home practicing your social distancing.
When I feel like I can't control anything, I resort to controlling what I can. This results in very clean closets, trips to Goodwill, and giving away things I don't use. Overall, I process while I'm doing it. I process my emotions, pray, argue with myself, argue with God and just hide to take a break. For an enneagram 8, it says we are horrible in a crisis. So I allowed myself my one horrible, temper tantrum day, put myself in timeout (kitchen/closet cleaning) and I'm better now.
For Scott, he just ducked and left for a bit. LOL. Poor guy. Gosh, I love him. Enneagram 6's are great in a crisis. He is resilient, a problem solver, calm, rational and a rock. And as you are reading this, today, March 19th, is his birthday. I can say without a doubt, I don't want to do life with anyone else. He is adored by me and our kids. Chip, the HR/Office Therapist/dog, is pretty sure he hung the moon. I could go on and on but he knows how we all feel, even those who work alongside him. While he is like the rest of us and has a flaw or two (he would say he has way more), we will celebrate with something small and wait till we can have a bigger celebration for his day. And years from now, we will look back and say, "Do you remember your 48th birthday when our country was living under a self-quarantined/social distancing mandatory? Was that not insane?" And then we will reminisce on how our country pulled together, united while apart and came out the other side stronger and hopeful. Sigh....
This is how we want to remember 2020, don't you? So do your part. Be kind. Be generous.
Don't be a hoarder.
Share. Allow some space among yourselves. Pay attention to your body. Drink lots of fluid. Follow the CDC guidelines. Listen to your government. Support local if you can. Talk to your plants because they are working overtime to keep your air clean. Dust your houseplants. Fertilize them. Show
all living things
some love. Get OUTSIDE. Fresh air and sunshine are nature's disinfectant. And
for goodness sake
, wash your hands ... and don't touch your face ... or your neighbor's face. We love you. Hang in there. WE aren't in control but we know WHO is.
