These last five months have been anything but normal for all of us. In fact, it has been the exact opposite. Our world has been flipped upside down, preschool has been canceled, Daddy has been working from home, we no longer venture out as a family to run our weekly errands, and our breaking point has been hit far too many times to count at this point.
However, just like with anything in life, there is always a bright side.
In our household, this bright side comes in the form of slow mornings. Something that I honestly never knew I could appreciate, let alone learn to actually enjoy and even crave!
Before quarantine, our mornings probably looked similar to yours. My husband would already be at work before any of us woke up for the day. Once the kids and I were up, that started the countdown clock, AKA the morning rush. Multiple diaper changes, two little bodies to get dressed, breakfast to be made, teeth and hair to be brushed, backpack and class snack packed, and somewhere in there, I had to make myself just a little bit more presentable; bedhead just isn’t as cute on adults! All of this done before 8:45 a.m., then we head out the door to preschool drop off. Whew, talk about a mad dash!
Isn’t it funny how life works sometimes? It has literally taken a pandemic for me to slow down and enjoy slow mornings. To stop and actually smell the morning coffee, instead of just chugging it between washing the dishes and folding laundry. To say “yes” to staying in PJs when my 5-year-old asks for the third time this week. To be able to sit at the table and have breakfast as a family on a weekday. To let the morning chores go, in exchange for an extra-long walk or bike ride.
I am blessed to be a stay-at-home-Mom, so I am used to having time with my kiddos, and yet quarantine has gifted us with EVEN MORE. We, of course, have had our share of fights, and definitely have had moments where we all just need our own space, but for the most part, I truly have been doing my best to just soak up every moment. We have read and re-read the kids’ favorite books, taken countless family hikes, perfected our pancake recipe, and are pretty much pros at staying in comfy clothes all day. It is so easy to get wrapped up in our daily routines sometimes, which isn’t a bad thing at all. But man has it been refreshing to have to press pause for a second (or rather the last 5 months)!
While I can’t say that I have completely embraced this quarantine lifestyle, I can confidently say that it has changed me. I am not typically a glass half full type of person, but quarantine has challenged me to see things that way. To be open to silver linings and bright sides, even when they come in the form of extra slow mornings filled with hot coffee, PJs, and a little extra quality time with a few of my most favorite people.
