Quarantine Gratitude
My brother wrote this devotion to share with his team where he works. I thought it would be nice to share with you since we are all stuck in the middle of shelter-in-place with no end in the immediate future. Gratitude is important no matter what circumstances we face. Enjoy!
One of the things I’ve noticed recently is the amount of creativity that is coming out of quarantine. People are looking for things to do, things that keep them entertained. One couple wrote new words for Simon and Garfunkle’s song, “Homeward Bound” singing “I’m sitting here in isolation waiting for a vaccination…hum…” The Beatles song “Yellow Submarine” is now “we all live in the COVID quarantine, the COVID quarantine, the COVID quarantine.” Perhaps you’ve heard a song or two also. Who would have ever imagined that we would be sitting in isolation and living the COVID quarantine life? Isolation can cause us to feel, perhaps for the first time ever, a stress that isn’t easily defined yet can easily overshadow all the good that is going on in life. Fatigue can be like that.
Fatigue can affect us physically. We may feel tired all the time. Fatigue also affects us mentally. Sometimes it is hard for us to focus on the task at hand or we begin to forget simple things. Emotionally we can become fatigued. Being around your kids, which no doubt you love, can simply wear you out. Being with your soulmate can do that too. No time alone. No time to recharge your batteries. The hairline fractures in relationships can often be magnified when people are together without any margin in their lives.
Which leads us to do things that make us feel better. It’s called coping. Like watching every episode of Tiger King on Netflix. For me, it was watching every episode of Bosch on Amazon Prime. Once you start you can’t stop. Like eating comfort food instead of healthy food. It sure does taste good but it doesn’t help you feel physically better in the long run. Feeling tired we drink more coffee. Feeling anxious or the need to unwind, we drink more wine. Our coping mechanisms begin to mask the stress we feel deep within the core of our being.
Do you recall the story of “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll? “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat. “I don’t much care where,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
Fatigue will tell us it doesn’t matter which way we go. I’ve found that life is 10% of what life does to us and 90% how we react to it. Instead of reacting, could we respond intentionally? Can we lead ourselves to a healthier place rather than letting the steering wheel go?
When you begin to feel weary or stressed, take a break. Go for a 10 or 15-minute walk. It’ll clear your head and will feel good to stretch your legs. Instead of reaching for another coffee, drink some water or juice. Instead of reaching for another glass of wine, round up the family or a friend and go for a walk around the neighborhood. Sit on the deck and watch the sunset. Do something fun, whether together or apart, like a campfire. What a great way to make lasting memories. And it comes down to the choices we make.
There is one thing that can change your attitude and perspective all at once. It can breathe new life into weary routines. It’s called “gratitude.” Gratitude is a choice. It’s a way to lead your heart which affects your thoughts and attitudes. It’s easy to focus on what we cannot do which results in feeling miserable and like we’re under house arrest. Gratitude looks at what one does have and is grateful for it. Feeling trapped in your house? Be thankful you have a house. Having a hard time working from home? Be thankful you have a job. Missing your friends? Be thankful you can see them on facetime. Gratitude can transform our way of thinking, our attitude, and energize the very way we feel about life, even in the COVID quarantine. What are you thankful for? Why not share it with someone today.
Blessings,
Pete Munson, chaplain
