Tag Archives: Covid-19

Chronicle of 2020

I’ve been thinking about what to write on my blog each day hoping to find something to write about other than the situation we are in with Covid-19. But what keeps coming to me is that this is the time for me to journal and share about my life during this time period. Today is March 24 and I can only imagine what everyone in the world is experiencing. For me, I can feel the connection of the people of the world, that we are all one within the human race, and we are all going through the same situation and crisis together, wherever we live.

Chapter 1

It’s now March 24 and I’m going to start with January. Although I don’t have to many vivid memories of that month since it seemed to be quite a normal month, so to speak. In looking over the month of January in my calendar book I can understand why it seems so nondescript. Being semi-retired, my days unfold mostly according to what I feel doing each day and January didn’t have so much activity going on.

The month of January was cold, so I wasn’t able to go out for my morning walk too often. I love my morning walks in the neighborhood. One route takes me up a local street that has quite and incline, getting my heart going and great exercise for my legs. That’s a mile and a half walk. The other favorite I have is a 2 mile walk where I travel the road with a gradual increase for at least a mile, also pumping my heart and giving me some great leg activity. I listen to a podcast while I’m walking by Mike Rowe “The Way I Heard It” and really enjoy this time alone. A number of times during the month my husband, Kris, and I would go out and hike at a few local trails in the foothills of the Rockies (I live in Colorado).

Given that I facilitate a breathing meditation practice, I did have a few days in the month of January where I gave some session and also coached and supported one of the facilitators that Kris and I recently trained. Along with that, the other so called “work” activity I have is to do some management of our rental properties. Not much work, really, as we have a management company on hand for most things. I enjoy knowing how our tenants are doing and like to be apprised of things from time to time.

Aside from what I just explained, those work activities maybe took up on average 4-5 hours a week. So what else did I do? I am enjoying pottery. There’s a local pottery studio 1/2 mile from my house, close enough to walk to weather permitting. Once I week I am immersed in one focus for 3 1/2 hours. Sometimes I go more often than once a week. Total attention on throwing pottery, never quite knowing what each piece with turn out to be even if I start with an idea. I’m a novice, only been doing this for a year, but man, I am addicted. It’s the best place to be to put my mind aside for a long period of time and pay attention to one thing. It’s a great way to meditate. I realized not too long ago how much I love to create and this is such a wonderful avenue for this energy I have to do something creative with my hands, my mind, my ideas.

One other thing that occupied our time was the planning of a vacation. We found an amazing place, by recommendation of a friend, called Yelapa. Located on the coast of Mexico about a 45 minute boat taxi ride from Puerto Vallarta. Along with plans to Mexico, we made plans to go visit our kids and grandkids in California at the end of the Mexico trip. So there was excitement in the air as we talked about our travel time.

One of my favorite things of enjoyment is to relax in my home with the wood-burning fireplace emanating heat throughout our home. Hunkering down inside during the cold days isn’t something I mind. However, having a wonderful fire glowing in the fireplace from morning to early evening is delightful and we basically had the fire going all of January.

The corona virus epidemic (not a pandemic yet) hadn’t come so much into my attention early in January, but as the month moved on more information started to surface about the situation in China. The information was shocking. I’m trying to remember how I may have been affected by the news and the most I can remember is that I felt so bad for the people that were being affected, how out of control things were in that area of the world and it was happening to them-so far away. I didn’t so much think about when and how it would spread around the world. However, as it got closer to our trip I began to wonder if maybe it wasn’t the best idea to travel. I hadn’t yet been hit by the reality of what was happening and hadn’t even begun to think about what was possible to come out of this virus in China.

Wondering

Each time I sit to write my blog I go through a few moments of wondering what I’m going to write about and have some self judgment about what the content will be for the day. I think it’s like stage-fright. I’ve heard that most actors/actresses say they have had stage-fright through most of their career. So with that in mind, I won’t be concerned any more about my hesitation. I think it’s normal!

I was born in 1950 so didn’t live through the agonizing years of WWII. However, I’ve done so much reading and studying of that time period. Mostly I’ve been interested in books written by survivors of the war, those in the concentration camps, those fighting the war, those who’s lives were interrupted dramatically for so many years. It was such a terrible time in the world’s history and yet we came through and moved on.

What has been coming to my thoughts is what is was like for the people in so many countries during the war where there was food rationing to the point where people barely had enough to eat, where jobs were scarce, where so many people had to and learned how to live communally in tiny spaces. Many perished in different ways, and many many more lived through and survived the circumstances that the world was put in during those years.

I think about the similarities we are now facing, similar yet quite different. We are, I guess one could say, at war with this disease spanning the globe. We are having to give up freedoms we have been so used to. We don’t have food rationing, but we certainly aren’t running to the grocery stores every day or so or going out to eat or driving through our favorite coffee shop each morning. Some of us are blessed to have the where-with-all be okay financially, nutritionally, and with a roof over our heads for the time being, and many many others are already struggling.

Kris and I are finding ways to help, in some small way, to ease the burdens. We are donating to our local food bank, we are offering Breakthrough Breathwork Meditation via technology for our clients who have already practiced Breathwork with us and their donations will also be sent to the food bank. I want to do more, but given my age, it’s not appropriate for me to go out. I’m meditating more often to help bring more awareness and peace and love within myself so that I may bring more light and healing to the planet.

And, I’m making sure, weather permitting, that I venture out each day and walk 2 miles in my neighborhood for my well-being. I hope you are also finding ways to become active or stay active. Get outside and smell the fresh air! Be in the sun or even out in the cold, enjoy the breeze on your face. Find gratitude for the smallest and biggest things in your life. I hope you are able to let your heart feel love – for yourself, your family, your friends, and for all people of the world-especially now.

Been on Vacation-sort of!

Well, it’s been a while since sitting down in front of my computer to write. I did take a vacation, however, and then forgot to get back into my daily writing. Good thing I didn’t make a commitment to write every day in case this would happen.

In February we traveled to a place called Yelapa, Mexico. A flight to Puerto Vallarta and then a 45 boat taxi ride to this small bay/cove along the coast of Mexico right up against the jungle. What a place to vacation-if you like being secluded from city life, crowds, and cars. Walking everywhere on cobblestone walkways about 20′ from the beach. Getting to experience a genuine Mexican village and how people live there. Until about 20 years ago there was no running water or electricity. We had a wonderful, relaxing, meditative time for 9 days.

Life for the world has change dramatically since then due to the Covid-19 and the worldwide shutdown. Where now we get to experience another adventure (and even possibly label it as a staycation in our homes). We all get to figure out how to weather this storm. I’m catching up some things – like getting paperwork and files in order, taking care of taxes, cleaning the garage and rearranging cabinets in the house. Gratefully we have a growing dome and vegetable garden so we get to play in the garden. We live outside the main city, bumped up right against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains so we have the opportunity to go out and hike. I like to just put on my shoes and go for a couple mile walk just around my neighborhood. Fun things to do-play games, watch movies and bing some favorite shows, work on puzzles, give each other a massage, write letters or call friends that I’ve wanted to for so long, take naps, meditate more often, and I’ve even starting putting on some music that moves me and I’m dancing and exercising. Great time to get in shape.

I hope that in the midst of this worldwide situation you can find a way to make the best of what life is handing you right now. That you can find a peaceful and enjoyable time to spend your days, with yourself, your partner, your kids. It can really be a time for great bonding and a time for less busyness in your life.

Take care and I pray that we will come through this with a newfound connection to mankind-that more and more people begin to realize we are all one, we have the same hearts and the same desire to love.