There are so many things to consider during this global pandemic, this moment of pause on our collective lives… As I sit in my home, three children in tow, all of my values float to the foreground: we are safe, we are healthy, we are stronger together, and we will get through this.

I’ve had my ups and downs like everyone else out there. Between homeschooling my two older girls and keeping my son busy and out of trouble, I’ve had highlight moments of recognizing our privileged situation of being able to accommodate at-home education. I’ve cherished the time I’ve watched my daughters learn, like actively learn, alongside peers and I’ve had an inside like at how these incredible teachers organize and manage their classroom, even in these virtual circumstances. I stand in awe of their dedication as they are called to duty, leaving their own personal situations to tend to our children.

I’ve spent a lot of time, especially recently, practicing GRATITUDE. The thing about gratitude, journals, prayers, and meditations, is that it isn’t simply about saying “thank you.” Practicing gratitude is about noticing, acknowledging, ad appreciating the good in your life. It’s easy to practice gratitude when all is well in the world, but these past 6 weeks have been a test to my mindset. I’ve cried from fear, I’ve been angry at the world, I’ve been frustrated with my lack of control, I’ve been aggravated at the situation and I’ve been anxious about what all this means, but through it all I’ve remained calm, kept things in perspective, and remind myself how lucky I am that my family is healthy and safe.

I love my life. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my job and I love my daily routine. Oh man, do I ever miss my daily routine! The gym, the meetings, the dress ups, the events, the hang outs, I miss it all! I even miss running basic errands and annoying appointments. I think one of the hardest things about being home all day is that I’ve had to create a new routine. As humans we are highly adaptable creatures, so I’ve sort of gotten a handle on things (more or less), but when it comes to establishing a routine, I still haven’t figured that out!

Let’s face it, I have three young kids, so I come pretty low on the priority list! I do make it a point to take a little “me” time whenever I can, but those moments are few and far between. I am making the most of quarantine life though. I work out, I get fresh air every day, I cook, I clean, and I keep the morale high at home. I’ve even played dress up for IG while cleaning out my closet – I mean, anything is considered an activity at this point! Lol!

At the beginning, I set some pretty high expectations for myself. Like the memes say, I was intent on accomplishing all kinds of random things, but time has shown me that the most important thing to do during this time is to stay healthy: mind, body and soul. I celebrate the little things, I focus on my breath, try to keep some semblance of normalcy, and I just take the pressure off. This is TEMPORARY. I am also so grateful to all the incredible fitness instructors who have rallied to keep us all in shape over IG and zoom - THANK YOU!

It’s ironic, because with the intensity and rush of our regular lives, this moment of slowing down was kind of exactly what we needed. So, what I try to remember, even through my darkest moments, is that I choose to mark this time with POSITIVITY. I know the whole world is in mourning—between the death toll and the impending economy crisis, we are in for a harsh reality check when this is all over—but, as long as we have our health, then we should count ourselves lucky. I count my blessings, every day as I kiss my little ones.

What happens next is in our hands. The future of our children is up to us. We should think about how we want to nourish the world we are going to re-enter. Between supporting local businesses, giving back to our communities, taking care of our loved ones, and stepping into our duties and social responsibilities, I can honestly say that I think we can make something good of this chaos. Let’s not think about all the things we don’t have, the things we are missing out on, or the things we don’t get to do. Let’s focus on what’s right in front of us, let’s focus on what we want when this is all over.

There is still reason to SMILE. Smile, I laugh, enjoy a glass of wine, a delicious meal, a fun game night, an indulgent dessert, a juicy TV show, a makeup tutorial… I’ve reorganized my house for the 10000th time and I’ve danced my butt off to loud music with my hubby. I’ve made the most of this time, because life will be back to normal soon. Of course it will. So for now, the healthiest thing for me to do is just focus on right now, and put my energy in ensuring that the world I’ve cultivated for my family still exists when I eventually walk out my door.