Well, my friends, it’s Friday again. We made it to another weekend. Marc and I are both retired and we live by ourselves. There is no golf. So except for looking forward to another YouTube church service on Sunday, it seems like this weekend is going to look a lot like all the other days this week. It feels real and surreal at the same time. We are all having to hold so much.
I knew I wanted to share a post today and I wasn’t feeling very TGIF-ish. I’m still not, but … I listened to Brené Brown’s latest podcast this afternoon. Y’all it is REQUIRED listening.
And it inspired me to gather up (and share) five things that are helping me get through the days right now.
Thing One. Bookending my days with Three Things to do and Five Simply Joys. If you follow me on Instagram (and my stories), you will recognize these templates. In the morning, I figure out Today’s Three Things (thank you @elisejoy)
and before bed I document 5 Small Joys (hat tip to @katecbowler)
Thing Two. Limiting my news. I subscribe to the New York Times and Washington Post’s daily updates. I read them in the morning. and maybe click through to a few articles. I am listening to podcasts and scrolling Instagram. Mostly, these feeds are lifting my soul, not darkening it. (limiting the darkness is key)
Thing Three. Fostering on-line meet-ups. For me, “social distancing” has been a lot more physical than social. One day this week I had four meetups. I needed to rest my voice by the end of the day. Instead of sending an email, I’ve asked if we could FaceTime. Even the very seniors in my Friday morning small group have gotten Zoom … it’s wonderful!
Thing Four. Maintaining my “minimum daily requirements” (I heard this term on @gretchenrubin‘s IG Live yesterday and it so well sums up the purpose of this list – it’s like taking vitamins!) – closing my rings (moving my body), showering, dressing, putting on at least a little mascara, lip gloss and eyebrow, reading 50 pages, journaling, and praying the daily offices morning, midday and evening (I use this app and it’s awesome … it’s only available for iOS, but there’s a book that’s available across platforms – kindle link). I’ve especially been enjoying the morning devotions this month. With a nod to women’s history month, many of them are by or about women. There’s always something in either the devotion, liturgy, or closing prayer that strikes a chord. Today, it was all good. I shared the prayer on Instagram
and I read the devotion to my small group this morning:
“A silkworm was struggling out of the cocoon and an ignorant man saw it battling as if in pain, so he went and helped it to get free, but very soon after it fluttered and died. The other silkworms that struggled out without help suffered, but they came out into full life and beauty, with wings made strong for flight by their battle for fresh existence.” ~ Sadhu Sundar Singh, an Indian missionary
Thing Five. Stockinette Knitting.
What’s helping you to get through these days? please share in the comments. We ALL need a lift … and arms to catch us.
Stay safe and well. and maybe do something over the next two days to mark the weekend.
mere-et-filles 
I rarely wear makeup but with all the video calls this week I did actually put on some mascara – made me feel good. Working at home is a very strange thing but it does allow me to get out for walks during the day so that is a very good thing. Happy weekend even if it doesn’t feel much different. Maybe we need to come up with some weekend activities as day markers.
Some days are easier than others, that’s for sure. I write 5 things in my gratitude journal every day and I’ve added 3 things to do each day in a different journal. At first I was approaching those as a to-do list and being too ambitious. I’m scaled it back now and it feels like I’m actually accomplishing something when I check them off. Yesterday I planted pansies in my window boxes and that made me feel so good.
Phone calls with my kids when I don’t cry until I have hung up were on some of my good things this week. And, the kindness of strangers as we patiently stood in line (Thank you to TJ’s for those helpful 6′ distance marks). Honestly, knitting has even been a challenge this week – it has not been a week I’d like to repeat.
Someone said it to me (and of course, I don’t remember who) but I’ve started saying it to myself at night, “We’re one day closer to normal” Like Kat, this is not a week I’d like to repeat, but I think I will be doing that many more times.
I really feel like I need to be more deliberate about making note of what I’m accomplishing and what I’m grateful for. Perhaps that means getting better about journaling. It used to be a huge part of my life, but as life got busier (pretty much when I became a mother), I’ve fallen out of the practice. I think it would be really helpful to me right now, though, to spend a few minutes each evening and at the very least make note of things that I got done and things that brought me joy that day.
Looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Kiddo is planning to join me as well.
So many interesting links in your post that I’ve been here for ages – thank-you for all the inspiration :). I love the idea of three things and five joys – such an uplifting focus. Here, we have a bigger family group that usual for the last ten days (and for the foreseeable future), so that is taking up most of my time and focus. But all lovely …
Fortunately for me not a lot has changed 8-4 as my job is still going strong. But…I am so thankful…and I know I keep saying it…for all of the outside we have around here. 5.5 miles this morning with my 6′ away partner and another 2 with Doug this afternoon is definitely making things better. And reading all of the good things that you and our knitting friends are posting…for that I say THANK-YOU!
My three things are accomplished for today and as soon as I saw you were keeping track of 5 Joys I wrote down mine. Smith brought me tulips from Costco yesterday and I texted with a friend whose husband a brain tumor removed last week. He’s doing well and we talked about books and our new reality (realities). Limiting news is so important for my well being. See you tomorrow, Mary!
Cocktails! Springtime!
My routine hasn’t changed so much really since I worked at home about 3 days a week already, moving to full-time at home isn’t that much different… and just living with a cat means things were pretty quiet around the house already… however, since my mom and I are both self-isolating, she’s coming over in the evenings and staying the nights, and then going back to her house to putter around in the daytime – which means I actually have more company than I’ve had in a long time…
I have structure to my days but I need to tweak it a bit more. I’m going to write gratitudes morning, noon, and night. It needs to be done! I love my positive friends and my sister who uplift me and are a joy to talk to during these times I keep repeating I have everything that I need for right now and that is enough.
I watched Mass Sunday morning on youtube from Boston and loved the ordinary feeling of being with a comfortable habit.
Stay safe!!
Having to still work during the day keeps me grounded, and knitting.