What to do now

We are getting inundated with Coronavirus fallout. It is on every Facebook post, email, school announcement and news story. For better or worse, we must face school closures, TP hoarding and canceled events. So here we are. What do we do now? I wanted to share how I plan to spend the next few weeks.

Now, I must say that I feel for those who are affected by all of this. Whether it be lost wages, your health or missing out on seeing someone you love... some people are really scared and nervous right now. I am a crippling introvert who works from home so my life probably won't change much. So I choose to handle this the same way I handle everything else. I make a list.

1. Get around to all those chores around the house. The ones that have been nagging me for well over a year? Yes, those. I will start with finally bagging up the kids too small clothes and donate them to Goodwill as soon as I can.

2. Donate to the local food bank (online donation, of course!)

3. Finally lock up my medicines. They all have childproof tops and are on a high shelf, but my little is now an excellent climber and will be home for THREE WEEKS STRAIGHT. Don't want any unnecessary trips to the ER.

4. Do a deep clean. Don't forget the doorknobs!

5. Get creative with games for the kids. Today we played hide and seek with the stuffies, made snow angels and plan to bake some cookies topped with all the leftover candy. More time on the ground, more games, more talking.

6. Revisit my bucket list. I have not looked at it since my twenties, so its probably time for a revision. Bucketlist mid-life version.

7. Take a hard look at my finances. What can we cut out? Where can I make a monthly donation in my community?

8. Plan my garden for the spring (as soon as the snow melts. Come on, Bend!). Less reliance on store-bought ingredients. More fresh herbs and veggies. Healthier.

9. Offer to go grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor.

10. Read lots of books. For me and with my kiddos. Something I never quite feel I have the time to enjoy.

I think these moments come about in our lives to self reflect, reset, and readjust. If you were elbowing someone out of the way to buy 32 rolls of toilet paper, it might be time to stop and take a breath. Take a walk. Breathe some fresh air. Make a list.

Hopefully, we can use this time to decide what kind of community we want to be.