Anxiety, Life

Good News in the Midst of So Much Bad

Writer McWriterson

Today is April 1st, which means the first day of birthday month. No exclamation point because birthday month also implies quarantine month, which means that my actual birthday (the 28th) will be spent in quarantine. I just want everyone to stop dying, stop getting sick, stay at home, and be decent human beings. That’s what I want for my birthday this year.

I can only read so many articles about how bad this pandemic will get, how many more people will die, how we weren’t prepared enough or even knew enough before it becomes less about being informed and more about watching a bad accident.

Gapers delay.

That is what it feels like we are going through right now.

Sitting on the highway of life, coping with so many gapers delays that it makes our mental health take a tailspin.

I recently wrote in the comments of my friend Rita’s blog that:

I need to stay in the thick of it and not think of when it will end or if it will end. I cannot think this way or it will destroy me.

We need good news more than ever, and we aren’t getting enough of it, so I’m sharing this post because I believe you need it just as much as I do.

Here is what is helping me.

I’m staying up later than usual and sleeping in more. I like this new routine.

I’ve always been grateful for the sun, but never more so than in the last two weeks, when it was the only ray of hope outside my window. I now understand why dogs and cats sit in sunspots.

I’m glad I have a yellow-painted basement to go since it feels like daytime all the time down there.

I’m grateful we’re not alone in our house. That I have both of my daughters living with us. That my husband has a job, even though he is out there working in it, and that we have benefits as a result of that job.

I’m grateful that we have three pets who keep us entertained on a daily basis while also providing me with other lives to look after.

All of these things I took for granted on a daily basis, and I am eternally grateful for them all.

Shallow Focus Photography of Bird

I am noticing, for the first spring in many springs, the grass as it slowly gets greener. The buds that are peeking out of the trees and bushes. The little green sprouts coming out of the ground.  The birds singing, chirping every morning. Were they always there? I suppose they were.

I’m talking to my mom on the phone daily. We don’t usually have many new things to talk about, but I get to hear her (and sometimes dad’s ) voice on the phone every day, and I appreciate that so much, because I know a lot of people can’t do that but wish they could.

I am checking in on friends and they are checking in on me too. It feels so much deeper than our usual texts.

This note was written to me by a friend’s son about a month ago, and it has been like sunshine on gray days. I miss him. 

It’s amazing to see other individuals realize how crucial human connection is now more than ever.

I’ve been closer to friends and family that I’d gotten away from in our life, and every time we Facetime or text or send each other messages, it makes me realize that if it weren’t for this virus, we wouldn’t be doing that.

Because the lockdown has reduced my husband’s working hours, the four of us eat dinner together every night, and it has become the highlight of each day. Ella mentioned the other night at dinner that if Anna was at college, we wouldn’t have her home every night for dinner, but because of the virus, now we do.

I couldn’t have said it better myself, Ella.

Two People Walking in the Forest

I have a private Facebook page where everyone there can share funny and happy stuff. It has become a lovely place. I’ve laughed harder during this quarantine than I have in a long time because of that group.

I am becoming way more resourceful and much less wasteful than I ever have. I am careful with soap, paper products, and even food. And I appreciate a good meal too.

He/she peeks in every now and then and pecks on the window. Especially when a favorite television show is on. 🙂 

There’s a robin that keeps coming to our family room window daily and looks in. They peck on the window, chirp into the house, or just sit on the bush and stay for a couple of minutes. A cardinal came to our yard the other day and a mourning dove was sitting on our front porch after a long walk last week.

This makes me infinitely happy.

They are checking in on us daily. 

Ella said to me the other day, “you know mom, I never appreciated seeing Mamie and Papa as much as I do now and it makes me want to cry. “

Too much focus is on how the virus is tearing us apart and what it is taking from us, but in many cases, it’s actually doing the opposite, and that’s what I’m going to focus on today.

What is saving you currently? 

33 thoughts on “Good News in the Midst of So Much Bad”

  1. I like that note on the fridge. It’s perfectly inspiring. I think that it’s interesting how the older generations are suddenly more interested in FB. It’s been there all along, but suddenly they feel a need for it, finally finding a way to embrace the concept of connecting online. What’s saving me currently? Spring weather is finally here this week. My husband is working from home which keeps me calm. Writing my blog posts, goofy as they, keep me focused on contributing something positive to the world right now. [That is if you consider goofy to be positive.]

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    1. We aren’t having spring weather yet but I feel like once that happens here, it will definitely help.
      And yes to having the husband home. Mine doesn’t have the ability to work from home but when he is here on his days off, I am so much more relaxed.

      Your blog posts are helping me, that’s for sure. Keep writing. 🙂

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  2. I have actually pulled away from Facebook (as has my mom and most of my family). Unlike most people gawking at an accident from the side of the road I tend to turn away… so unlike most people I shelter myself and my family from the bulk of the news, I don’t go on Facebook because I don’t want to hear anymore about what we should/ could do, how much worse it might/will get… even if there are some really funny memes. I am definitely finding solace in nature and loving all these mini signs of spring. Even if the ground is covered by frost this morning.

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    1. I agree wholeheartedly with this. I hate that I’m comparing the loss of life to a gaper’s delay and I may go back in and edit that because I am not trivializing it at all. But I don’t need to hear the personal stories of families who have lost their entire family to this, as horrific as that is. It feels very much like the news trying to sell ratings instead of honestly caring about those families. And that’s what I’m talking about when I’m referring to gapers delay.

      Take care of you and yours.❤️

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  3. This is a beautiful post in every way, but I especially love the photos. I love seeing beauty. More so now that I’m stuck inside…the photos are welcome nourishment for my eyes. And your group is the only reason I get on FB anymore. My normally docile feed has gone bananas. People are changing through this. Uglies are coming out. The good news is we’ve got nothing but time to sit at home and deal with our ugly selves before heading back out into the world.

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    1. Boy, do you have that right. I have unfollowed over 45 to 50 people this week alone on Facebook. Let me tell you, it has made a world of difference.

      That Facebook group is saving my soul daily. It gives me reasons to find things that are good to share in that group and that is happiness jar worthy DAILY.❤️

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  6. This is so beautiful, Kari! Thank you for such a positive post and bringing smiles to my day. Love and miss you, my dear friend! xoxo

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  7. I just wrote a post about the positive things I am experiencing in this – it will post next week. Super grateful for the ping pong table Santa brought. Dear God – where would we be without that? I am ready for spring to hit and I think that will life spirits a ton. Mini and I just went for our walk. A little bit crisp, but perfect for walking. I am checking the forecast daily and early next week I see 70’s – bring it baby!

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  9. This post. This is everything that is right with the world right now. Thanks for the tears. The calling of your Mom part hit me, as I feel that I used to take those conversations for granted and oh, how I wish I could call Bev and have a conversation about nothing.
    The birds, the notes, the phone calls, all of it means SO much. I’m feeling so much of this myself. A facetime conversation with Linds, while we’re both cooking dinner, fills my heart.
    I LOVE that you and your family are finding so many gifts during this.

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  10. Last night my kids played soccer outside until it was almost dark. Jesse and I sat at our kitchen table and watched them. No fights. No bickering. We’re all pitching in every Saturday to clean the house (a job that used to be reserved just for me while they were at work/school). We’re reading and playing catch and stomping around in the muddy woods because it’s ACTUAL spring (unlike some years at this time). I’ve read more books in the last two weeks than I have in some months. It’s nice to list off the happy.

    (Please send me the link to your private FB group. I’d love to check it out.)

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    1. We were outside today for five hours straight and it was glorious. The windows are open, the sun is shining and all is right in our little corner. We needed this day.

      I’m so glad you had that kind of day yesterday. ❤️

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  11. Well, I’m late to the party because I’m back at work again, and I just have to say it was so nice to read this just now. Late Monday night our department of education announced that we have to provide full distance learning for all students and we have to figure out how to do that in the next two weeks. All I’m going to say about that is we’ve got kids who don’t even have wifi, much less devices, and…oh, let’s just leave it at: I’ve finished the last two days in meltdown.

    So, it was really good to see this post. I love your photos. I’m glad you’re finding the good and the joy. (I’m still doing that, too. It’s there.) And happy birthday month. My kids were supposed to be born in April, and I remember more than one person telling me what a great month that is to have a baby. Glad you have your whole family close.

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    1. I am so glad this made you happy. I have sad days a lot more than I would like to admit. I have scared days too, especially because Mike is out there five days a week, 12 hours a day, working in the public. But I can’t reside there or it WILL destroy my mental wellbeing.

      Anna’s apartment complex for next year at college is still requesting the parents to pay rent monthly starting yesterday. With all that is going on, they don’t give a fuck if you have a job, if you have income, if the world is falling apart. Your comment about kids not having wifi made me think about this. We don’t have unlimited income and my husband could lose his job any day now (another stress), so I can’t imagine how those who are struggling, even more, are hanging in there. This became a very unhappy comment, didn’t it?

      You aren’t alone. That is the takeaway. But I need to smile. I really, really need to smile. So I will keep on sharing happy shit until this is all over.

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      1. Yes yes and yes. I don’t have classes of students, but I support teachers who do, and they are so worried about our kids, many of whom were in really hard situations before all of this hit. (Which means I’m worried about the kids and the teachers.) I am just worried about us asking anything of families that will add to this time that is so damn hard for so many people in so many different ways. Just like asking yours to pay rent right now, for an apartment for next fall, is only adding to the stress. I’m especially worried about families dealing with addictions and domestic violence.

        Blergh. No, not happy comments. And FB has already made me cry twice this morning, so I guess I need to stay away from there, too. Just gonna keep coming back here, which is a happy place. 🙂

        Take care. Sending you all lots of love from Oregon.

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  12. wordpress hates me (still) and may very well have eaten the comment I just wrote!!!! To summarize—YOU are saving me!

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  13. But you know, you don’t have to be happy all the time. It’s my happy place even when it’s hard. There’s the right kind of hard and the wrong kind, you know?

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  14. That is the sweetest note! ❤️

    I’d say Facebook is keeping me sane as well. Shockingly! The memes, uplifting posts, and cute pictures of kids are everything right now. My two besties and I message each day, but the three of us aren’t working and are at home, and the conversations are getting shorter and shorter. Blah.

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