In an attempt to maintain quasi-delusional hope that this quarantine season shall soon be behind us, I felt like posting a list of all the things I will actually miss about being homebound with my children, all the day long (and we have a combined 5). Of course none of this makes up for tolerating friends’ mask selfies on Facebook, and separation anxiety from dining out, but I’ve been borderline taken aback at how much perspective can change, in a mere six weeks.
I will miss living in my bed.
I’m on furlough and my kids thankfully distance learn on their own most of the day, so I’ve had the joy of being able to spend hours writing every day, tea in hand from the comfort of bed. I do devotions in bed. Eat in bed. Work/write in bed, and I have to say, ‘tis sheer bliss. And though bed is a thing of nightmares. It’s my new husband’s bed from his bachelor days, that literally looks like a game of thrones prop. Like at any moment, Khaleesi’s dragons should unleash from under the duvet. But alas. ‘Tis sheer bliss.
I will miss not packing lunches.
And all school-related duties, if I’m honest. Of course we’d all rather have our kids remain in school and not miss key life moments. I’m SO devastated about missing my 5th grader’s elementary school graduation and all my kids’ spring band concerts, but man. Has it been nice not yelling “Get OUT the door it’s eight o’clock!!” every morning, slaving away on school projects so clearly assigned to parents (i.e. create your own electrical invention… Are. You. Kidding me?) making and assembly line of mediocre school lunches at 10 p.m., and all the other crazy stress inevitable when you have lots of school aged kids. Perhaps the single greatest shock of all, has been… I like having them around. I’ve always questioned my sister’s mental state for homeschooling six kids (did she not get enough hugs as a child?!) but it’s actually rather lovely being able to play Uno in bed with the kids after breakfast, and have lunch together outside and having time to just “be.” Who knew.
Quiet times that bring down the house,
Honestly. Now that I “have time” to read the Bible, worship and pray (I call it quiet time) there’s been mornings this dragon bed has practically caught fire with Holy Spirit flame. Like the real quiet times where you sit for more than 10 seconds in silence listening for the Lord instead of running to the hair straighter before work. One morning it was so good, I forgot to have coffee. I’ve felt like one of those God TV commercials with the woman in bed, powerfully praying away the problems of the day to come with the birds chirping out the window…”is that coffee steam or angels’ breath around her?” I’ve vowed to wake up early and continue this morning time when I return to work, but my track record’s not the best.
Getting out of social gatherings,
I am an extrovert. It’s killing me to not see friends, go to church, hold life groups, go out for date nights, etc. But there are certain group-based activities and social obligations even the greatest people lover might feel relief to escape. Lookin’ at you Rodan & Fields party. Thanks to the quarantine, I will not able to attend a two-day work conference held in an over-air-conditioned expo center, a women’s gathering I was only attending out of obedience (I believe I still get the points, Lord?) and maybe, just maybe, some end-of-year celebrations and four-hour sports banquets held on behalf of many, many a niece and nephew.
Schlepping around to sporting events,
If your kids love sports, or were competitive athletes before quarantine kicked in, I get that losing this entire spring sports season is straight up devastating. Awful. We however, are not one of these families. We just came out of a winter basketball season where our version of a “good game,” is if one of our three boys attempted to make a rebound….”ahhhh he almost went for it!”
We would’ve had four children involved in spring soccer and youth baseball this spring, and frankly I was fearful. Especially when the baseball experience the past four years has been this:
“Do you really want to do baseball? Last year you had a tantrum before every practice.”
“Yup, I want to.”
Aaaaaaand the next three months are baseball hell. Complete with mandatory parent concession stand duties, bi-weekly practice and 8 a.m. games that have the excitement level of watching produce fade. So. I’ve chosen to embrace the quiet ball free season knowing that soon enough fall ball we’ll be carpooling slaves and laundering psychos (WHERE is your uniform?!) once again.
I will miss not being a lunatic,
I hate slowness. I’m the only adult I know who finds it socially acceptable to run in stores and parking lots (more of a dignified jog) and I cried when our state shut down. But I admit. I’ll actually miss the slowness quarantine has caused. Amaaaaazing what can get done when laid off with the gym closed. I’ve printed out family photos circa 2014, found the sports bra that I knew was lost. Holla!I’ve found the source of smell in the third seat of my SUV (blasted banana!) looked up the Greek translation of Isaiah 61, tried on decade-old dresses to make sure they still fit and found a way to change my Apple ID. One more month of furlough I might actually clean my baseboards.
So cheers to us making the best. Please post what you’ll miss or have come to appreciate the most, below!
