What day is it? What time is it? I’m actually getting sick of wearing yoga pants and I can’t believe I just wrote that. Our lifestyle has been totally upended. I am running out of patience and creative ways to entertain my kids. They miss their friends and I miss mine. This attitude of fear and uncertainty seeps its way into my days most every afternoon and I can’t stop the feelings of anxiety no matter how many deep breaths I take or how hard I try to meditate.

Most days feel like a race to the finish – getting the kids fed and in bed is the ultimate goal. There have been many silver linings to being kept “safer at home” – we’ve learned to slow down, appreciate nature, loosen up about parenting and adore my kids (even more). They are at such a fun age where extra time with them is an incredible blessing. They crack me up every day and the amount of snuggling makes my heart melt.

I practice gratitude and remind myself that we’re healthy, safe and have access to everything we need. But what I’ve learned is that human interaction is just as much a basic need as any. We are not meant to survive (or rather, thrive) insolation. Our world is never going to be the same, but not knowing exactly how everything will change is the hardest part.

I saw a friend at the hardware store yesterday and I had to quell my instinct to give him a hug upon greeting him. When will it be safe to embrace again? More technology and a more impersonal world is definitely not what we all needed and it seems like this is what will come out of this practice of social distancing. Thankfully, technology is allowing us to carry on as best we can with work and connecting with friends, but it’s just not the same and I don’t want to have to get used to this new normal!

I know that everyone has a totally different circumstance and processes differently. I thank God for the brave, steadfast healthcare workers who can hold it together through all of this. This too shall pass and all we can do is focus on the silver linings.