I hope you still bake bread
“In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.”
– Dave Hollis
As life starts to re-open around us, I wonder; what do you want your new normal to look like? I fear that we will push ourselves to exhaustion trying to make things look as they once did. It may seem like we are starting to live the same routines as we once did but we should not forget that no matter how familiar these routines are, we are different people now. We have had different experiences and have felt different feelings.
Is there something that you have been doing lately that you want to continue doing? Is there something that you have not been doing for the past few months that you never want to do again? The time to hold on to that change is right now. Get reflective. Find a time and place to sit in stillness and answer some questions for yourself; What do I love that is working now? What do I need to hold onto to ensure this feeling stays in my life? What do I need to release?
Although I spent my days at home before this happened and will continue to spend my days at home after life shifts into our new reality, I have noticed changes I want to make. I love the attention I have been able to give to our own littles. I am loving waking up early (between 5 and 5:30) to have what I have been calling ‘Mom time’. Really what that looks like for me is coffee in silence. Without changing diapers, making breakfast, answering Lucas’ latest favorite question ‘Why do lions & tigers eat meat?’ for the 345th time. Sometimes I cross stitch, sometimes I watch a show, sometimes I read, sometimes I write. I do whatever is calling to me at that moment…because no one else is. And then when the rest of Team Acland is up, and the house starts buzzing my cup is full for them. Empty of that hot, magic elixir you may call coffee, that keeps me running during the day, leaving room for the patience, smiles & hugs that I want to share with them.
There are endless questions that could be asked about the daily routines we live. You are your best advocate, if you want change to happen in your life you need to ask for it. And I feel there has been no better time to ask. It seems to me that through all the uncertainty that we have been wading through there have been some cracks in our normal opened up to have some of the following conversations. The worst that can happen is that you are told ‘No’, which you can accept or not.
Some questions that may be worth considering;
Do I commute every day? Is working remotely an option? Is a shorter day an option?
Have I been able to make meals without running to the store every second day?
Can I keep a puzzle, a piece of art, a creation of some sort ready to be worked on somewhere in my house or office?
Do I want to sit outside in my yard for 30 minutes when I get home from work/school?
Do I want to call more often than text?
Have my kids been happy being under-scheduled? Have I?
Are we eating breakfast as a family? Lunch? Dinner?
What else is it that you want to hold on to? What has been IMPORTANT, FUN, ESSENTIAL to you lately?
According to my social media feeds lately, the fact that I accepted a share of a sourdough starter that I was able to keep alive for approximately one month and the lack of yeast & flour on the grocery stores shelves at times during the past few months it would seem as though there are an increased number of you that are filling your homes with the aroma of freshly baked bread. If this is you, and you are enjoying this new culinary adventure, my wish for you as our life starts to shift is that you still make the time to bake bread.
Update…the starter didn’t last….sourdough is too much work for me, but the house still smells of freshly baked bread, when I want it to.