As we’re all struggling to comprehend and adapt to this crazy new world we’re living in, it occurred to me that many of the lessons that I’ve learned so far from COVID-19 are very similar to the lessons that I’ve learned from other extremely stressful situations in my life, such as losing my husband to a heart attack when he was only 47 years old, and losing my house to the destructive force of Hurricane Irene. Here are some of those lessons:
1. Possessions are meaningless; the people in our lives are all that really matter;
2. Offering to help is kind; showing up (even if it’s by Zoom or Messenger Kids) is love;
3. The only person’s actions that I can control are my own;
4. Forcing myself to shower, dress and put on a little makeup every day makes a world of difference in how I feel about myself and the day ahead of me;
5. Maintaining a sense of humor and being a good teammate are the two most important qualities in a significant other, particularly during times of crisis;
6. I can’t expect people to understand what I’m going through in this crisis because no two people are dealing with the same obstacles; my situation is probably worse than someone else’s in some ways and better than someone else’s situation in other ways, and everyone is focused on their own survival;
7. It’s very possible that my 5 year-old daughter jumping off the steps at the beach and getting covered in sand will be the highlight of my day; enjoy it – that’s why God made vacuums;
8. Attempting to “live like you are dying” falls short; instead, the goal should be to live like all of the people who you love are dying, too;
9. Alcohol is critical in times of crisis, as are Golden Oreos, ice cream and pizza; and, I’ve lately found myself wondering why it took me nearly 46 years to fully appreciate the potato chip?! 😂
10. This, too, shall pass. No bad situation lasts forever. And there will be parts of this bad situation that you will actually miss. So, live in the moment.
11. When you can go through hell and back, and still be able to say you’re one of the luckiest people in the world (because of the immense love of family and friends), you must be doing something right.
Hang in there, world! 🌎❤️
The Badass Widow 