Rest

We survived our Coronavirus quarantine (which I referred to as our Covid party in my last post, Hello Covid, Come on in) and I’m glad to report that everyone has recovered well. Shockingly, I never even succumbed to the virus, which makes me wonder if I had it over my winter break without realizing it was Covid. That, or I’m just super human, which is a real possibility. Ok, all kidding aside, I think I will always look back on our visit from Covid with gratitude. And here’s why.

When was the last time your number one priority was pure healing?

That’s what’s required of people with Covid: no work, no school, no socialization for at least 5 days. For most of my life, when I’ve been sick (real sick), I’d take a day or maybe two off of my normal obligations. But after that, it would feel like I had to get back to reality. I would “power through”, maybe with the help of a little cold and flu medicine. But with Covid, it’s different. We are forced to stay home and rest, which is the best way to heal. As a mother, I didn’t have to debate if my kids should stay home and rest or go to school; the decision was already made. I was told by the school nurse when they could return, and every day up to that point was a gift. It was time to rest.

But what about the illness itself?

Like I said, I never tested positive for Covid. I took three tests, one on Friday, one on Sunday and one on Wednesday. All three were negative. I cannot explain why I didn’t get sick while both of my kiddos had it. They experienced sore throats, one day of low-grade fevers and so much fatigue. I had fatigue too, and lots of it, which is why I thought I had the virus. But it turns out, I was probably just really, really tired. Perhaps it’s from carrying the mental weight of the past two years. Or maybe it came from being a single Mom stuck in a house with two sick teens and a puppy. Whatever it was, I was grateful to have the time to rest.

How do we fit in rest into our post-pandemic lives?

The pace of life has picked back up and I wonder how you’re doing with that? Did we as a society learn anything about pausing? About taking a moment to breathe? About putting on our oxygen mask before tending to the needs of others around us? What can that look like for you? Maybe it’s setting aside time in the stillness of the morning to practice 20 minutes of yoga, or to read a favorite devotional, or to meditate. Or perhaps it’s the end of the day that’s better for you. Before turning off the light you can write in your gratitude journal or read a few pages of a book that whisks you off to another world. Or perhaps you could light a candle and take a bath or a shower, unrushed. Or maybe just go to bed a half hour earlier than normal. And if you’re too tired both morning and night, remember that you have your breath with you all day long. At a traffic light you can take three deep breaths in and three long exhales out. Like this week’s song by Anna Nalick, breathe, just breathe. It’s the smallest gesture of self love that we can offer ourselves throughout the day.

And that’s why I’m grateful to my most recent at home quarantine with my kids and Covid. It offered me a few extra days to be at home with my kids and take care of them while they rested and healed. I certainly hope that you don’t get sick with Covid, but if you do, cherish the rest. Namaste.

Post Script- The night that this post was published, I tested positive for Covid-19. More thoughts and updates to come. For now, it’s back to rest for me.