What I Will Miss

I could post a thousand things I won't miss about the quarantine... I won't ever take for granted the ability to run to TJ Maxx or HomeGoods... I will just be happy for the day I can walk around the store and look!

BUT... honestly, I have loved some of the things about being at home.

1.  I love the lazy mornings where I get to spend a little extra time reading my Bible and doing my devotion.

2.  I love working in my pajamas.  I've embraced the fact that my hair products and makeup may be old and yucky by the time I get to use them again.  A hat, my workout clothes, and socks have become my dressed up outfit.

3.  I love having all my chickens under one roof.  Going to bed at night and knowing they are all in the nest is comforting... it makes me sleep better and makes me wake up happy knowing they are safe.

4.  I love that all my closets, drawers, and garage have been cleaned out.  Last week I had the sudden thought I needed to make sure everything was done in case we got to go back to work.  I didn't want to look back at this time and regret not getting the mess cleaned out.  I have some clothes to organize to sell, but other than that... all things are clean!

5.  I love our nightly games of Scrabble... unless I lose.  We have entertained ourselves by watching past seasons of Friends and playing Scrabble just about every day.  Mark cheats and makes up words, but it's okay... I still love him.

6.  I love that this is the longest period of time our family has ever been together and no one has killed anyone else.  I feel like I have people attached to my hip, but I'm good with that.  Sometimes I slip out the door to run to the dollar store, but other than that... they are with me.

7.  I love our nightly "Fireside Chats"... I have only read about the original Fireside Chats, but that is what I call the nightly press conference to update what has gone on in the US and world for the day.  It's family time where we discuss how some journalists don't know how to ask questions, some people are over the top with trying to stump the President, and how sometimes the President could have answered in a different tone and made things better.  The bottom line is what I want my children to learn from this ----if anyone is completely, 100% against someone--- they are wrong... and if someone is completely, 100% for someone--- they are wrong.  Find something good in everyone!  I commend both the democrats and republicans who stand on that stage taking harsh questions from the media each day.  This isn't a time to stump a doctor, an admiral, or the President... get the facts and let us back out into the crazy we had once before.

8.  I love my friends even more than I did before.  True friends leave bread on their porch for you... invite you to eat a little supper from afar... and do their best to make you smile during this time.

9.  I love the family devotion our family is doing together each day.  We have the book The Story  and we are reading one chapter each day.  KB created a google document for us to record our notes, and I LOVE reading what we have all written.  We are discussing through technology and not face to face... I guess that's okay!

10.  Finally, I LOVE that through the mitigation we have shown what following rules can do.  We have been careful, we have been smart, and we have been diligent at washing our hands and making contact with others minimum.... I love when we prove people wrong... as a nation we should be proud.  My prayer is our economy picks back up ( I'm going to TJ MAXX and HOMEGOODs first so get out of my way), our schools open back up with parents who love their child's teachers, and the things I have grown to love during this time won't go away... I hope they become our new way of life.

This quarantine thing ain't so bad after all!

Be a Primary Source

Be a Primary Source

I taught English and Social Studies for many years.  As students would read about the Roman Empire, the Greeks, and finish the year with World War Two, I would ask many of my classes to think about their lives and what part of the world they were living in would make it to the history books for other children to read about one day.  Up until 9-11, I only had the breaking down of the Berlin Wall that I thought was print worthy.  After 9-11 I thought I was finished.  Evidently, I wasn't.  

These past few weeks have been unlike anything our generation has ever seen.  I knew things got real when TJ Maxx and the mall shut down.  As we sat by the fire outside last night, I mentioned to the children they needed to be a primary source.  In English, we like to use primary sources because they are not someone else's thoughts of what someone thinks... they are real and the frontlines of a news event.  As I attempt to give my enlightenment of this entire mess, I pray you will find a little peace and comfort in all this and relax, settle down, and enjoy the time at home. 

For Christmas this year I got a Christian planner that I love!  It has a monthly calendar at the beginning of each month, a weekly calendar placed in between the months, and a page for sermon notes each week at church.  My routine has been to fill in the monthly calendar in order to know things going on at work, at home, and in my life.  I wait until Sunday morning to fill in the weekly calendar.  I plan what meals I need, what I need at the grocery store for the week, and what I need to be prepared for during the week.  The verse in the top right of the weekly calendar is always my verse for the week. I write it each morning to start my devotion.  I'm trying to learn scripture this year without having to refer back to my Bible. 
Today started a new week, and this week's verse I will write each morning is Colossians 3:15.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  
You see, I believe that God knew this day, this time, this event was going to be here... and I believe that He knew I would need this verse this morning.  I'm in awe (and then again I know He knows and it was His plan), that this verse is what I write each morning this week as I have almost nothing on my calendar.  I need peace and I need to be thankful.  He tells me in this verse that is it. 
I believe that one day (okay English students who may be using this as a primary source) we will look back and say remember when... and I will add to this time the good of what comes with being "stuck" home with a 20 year old, a 16 year old, and a husband who can't sit still. 
I already see the blessings... life has slowed down so much that I have stopped to smell the roses.  Actually, in my front yard are tulips.  Sure, I planted them, I know it's time for them to bloom, but I have never enjoyed them more than this year.  Yesterday as KB and I were headed to go out on a walk, she remarked how the day before they were shut and now they are opened and beautiful.  I told her God did that... we saw those flowers yesterday and the day before... one day closed, shut, not showing anything... and the next... a beautiful reminder that God takes things and makes them bloom and give us joy in our hearts.  I'm almost positive this would have gone unnoticed if we hadn't been on slow-paced movement yesterday. 
KB and I went on two walks yesterday.  One in the morning and one in the afternoon.  As we passed golfers and neighbors, we kept our distance, but things were different.  We smiled and spoke, we asked how they were, and I noticed a desire to be more friendly.  We are all in this together, and we really don't know how to respond.  I remember when 9-11 happened, I called Granny to ask her if she was this scared when WWII happened.  She said it was different because it wasn't on the soil of the 48 contiguous states... it wasn't on the home front.  As I think back to that conversation, I didn't hear fear in her voice.  I heard reassurance we would get through it stronger than we were.  I saw that happen with my own eyes.  I hope I can relay the same tone with my own children when they ask questions. 
I'm not allowing myself to go into the what ifs.  I think it will be a few months of stress, a few months of slowing down, a few months of not really knowing what we are going to do the next day. 

As we are holed up at home and trying to stay busy, I'm extra thankful for Diet Coke, no schedule, and enough food to keep us satisfied.  I've seen my children study, do things they normally wouldn't do (like clean out the garage), and catch up on sleep their tired bodies needed.  Just as the Bible verse says, we need to have peace and to be thankful.  Each time I want to start thinking ahead about the what ifs... I have to divert my attention to something else! 

We have spent hours playing Scrabble with each other over the course of this event.  I've learned new words that most of the time I think Mark has made up.... Qi.... really?  I always ask him to use these words in a sentence and somehow he can. 

The McKinney household is definitely different... we are missing a golf season, a child off at college, and many events we were looking forward to this year.  I'm sure I could have worry and anxiety take over during this time, but I am choosing instead to turn to my Bible and spend a little extra time there.  I am also finding a little therapy in writing.  I want to remember these days as fun and enjoyable while being stuck at home. 

Finally, I'm not sure about anyone else, but I will never take for granted the freedom to get in my car and go to a store.  I will never take for granted the angry parents who call and hate the way we do things at school.  I will never take for granted the opportunity to go to church on Sunday mornings... it won't ever be "I have to go to church"... it will be "I get to go to church".  I'm doing virtual church today.  And I'm thankful I enjoyed a little extra time reading my Bible... It was about Esther... Mordecai urges her to step forward to do what she can to save the Jews... in chapter 4 verse 14 he says "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for SUCH A TIME AS THIS."  This is our time... to follow God's Word and do what He says... be at peace and give thanks. 

Amen