COVID has taken on a completely different meaning.  After 51 days in quarantine, I have learned to put my purpose over panic.  The first few weeks in quarantine were pure chaos; swarming with uncertainty.  Despite hearsay of what the future holds, I know one thing must continue – my role as a working mother.  Being home made my role no different than any other day.  Sure, there was a change by working remote and being with my children 24-hours, but with a routine, everything and everyone fell in place. 

The silver lining to the pandemic is that I began to understand the importance of living in the moment.  I’ve come to terms with life filled with quality and not quantity.  For some reason, a packed calendar always made me feel validated. Lately, I have been forced to slow down; erase my calendar and ‘hit’ reset.  No amount of vacation time could have provided the advantages of a quarantine.  There were no retail stores to run to; no extracurricular activities to prepare for; no committee meetings or happy hours.  I was forced to organize my life in a more simplistic way. 

Even as I write this blog post, my five-year old is next to me practicing her sight words.  I’m not annoyed.  In fact, I enjoy it.  I have come to realize that chaos is everywhere, but it was never in my home.  The chaos always existed outside, and it used to consume me, altering my mood, thoughts and at times, actions (or lack of).  I am now viewing life through a different lens.  I vow to remember these moments and slow down when pressured.  I am my best self when I am present.  Not only do I deserve it, but my family and others deserve my best me.