The Silver Lining of this Storm

In a nutshell: I will start a 19 day prayer starting tomorrow for our safety and of our family and neighbors. You're invited to join in by reading each day's blog.

Mother Mary, we are going to ask for your help.

Has your head started spinning from the constant non-stop news, blogs, observations and mental "noise" happening from the Coronavirus? If it hasn't, great! What is your secret? But if anyone reading this is like me, you have felt a little bit, ever so tiny bit overwhelmed by it all. The virus is increasing so rapidly as if we kept pushing the times sign on a calculator to see how high it can multiply.

This RNA virus is stronger than a DNA virus.

Yesterday my coffee was a little too strong, I drank a little too much of it and I came home with nerves bouncing against each other. I walked into the walk-in closet, turned the light off and listened to my breath in total darkness. It was shallow. So I took a long breath for four seconds, held it for four, exhaled for four and held again. Try it, it really helps lower stress. I realized something must be done. You see, I am not an anxious person. If this were an interview and I were asked: what are your adjectives? I would throw on a big confident smile and respond: well-organized, optimistic and hard-working. Now, if you had asked me that last night I might have buried my head in my hands and muttered: disorganized, cranky and lacks focus...

See, the wave of anxiety can do things to us and change our perception of things as they become more and more out of control. Those of us who are librarians, teachers, or simply enjoy the neatness and tidiness of life will definitely feel a loss of control or ability to plan with this virus that seems to change each day. 

What are some things we can plan for, enjoy, and relax with?

1. Plan:

a) Limit the News: We can plan to only read the news once per day and that's it. Yes it is a virus and will grow and get gross, but we don't need to flood our brain with it. Limit how much time  you spend reading about this. 

b) Follow experts advice: Plan to follow CDC guidelines for safety. Before Hurricane Sandy hit us in New Jersey, we lost our power (thank God) and didn't know how bad it was. The news was screaming and we didn't hear it, but we prepared. Ready.gov has a great list we used to get ready for Hurricane Sandy https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/checklist3.pdf Be sure to get long term and compact shelf food such as rice, beans and oatmeal. They take up little space and have high nutritional content. Stash it and forget about it.

Fill up the freezer

Maybe not the healthiest but definitely tasty!

Mayo the size of a gallon of milk!

Some for fish, some for meat.

c) Plan to avoid people...its for the good of all of us. Cancel your appointments, or schedule them a few months out. Cocoon at home. Get some projects done around the house: cleaning out kitchen cabinets, sorting though old documents, the type of things we never have time for.

To think just weeks ago we were all so obliviously happy sitting cheek to cheek at the Kennedy Center and listening to Schubert while inhaling each other's viruses. 

Practice social distancing

Enjoy:

a) Reading: Now is a perfect time to start reading some real books! Don't read on your tablet or phone because the temptation to tap on something that gives anxiety will be too high. Read on your Kindle device or pull an old book off the shelf. Take notes and post a book review. You have things to say about books that you didn't know you had to say.

A good book is a good friend.

b) Praying: Always wondered what it is like to pray and really didn't get "into" it? Well, here is your golden opportunity! If you don't know where to start, praying the "Our Father" is a great place as it is the prayer Jesus taught us. Even if you get stuck after the first phrase and think about it all day, you are on a roll to growing in your spiritual life. It's ok, you are allowed to pray and like it. I am going to start posting a 19 day prayer in honor of the number 19 of the Virus. Feel free to follow along day by day whether out of boredom, curiosity or willingness to jump in. You are invited and very welcome.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea, we are coming to ask you for help from this storm.

Finger rosary.

With the simple faith of children.

c) Outdoors: the spring is marvelous. If you were to ask any bird out there today, they would have told you that they were too busy singing and flying to pay any attention to the news. Plan to also spend time outdoors! Pencil it in and set a timer so you know it's time to get out. Get fresh air and enjoy this amazing season. All of the birds are absolutely thrilled they had a mild winter and are basking in each day with new flowers on the trees and daffodils. Enjoy seeing our fellow life be so utterly happy is a message to us to be happy it is spring as well!

Going outdoors doesn't mean a run to the grocery store. As you can see, people are not putting their carts away. Yes, I got a new ding on my car!

Here we go! Chirp chirp! Flutter! How many cardinals do you spy? I spy with my eye...so much better!

Relax: 

a) Relax with the sunset or sunrise: What were the colors? If you could take a picture of them each day, would you? My Covid Cloud Picture album, or something. Switch from coffee to herbal tea. You don't need your nerves skyrocketing. Stretch out your muscles and look at the big beautiful sky that has no idea what is going on. It's amazing.

Sunrise. 

b) Write it out but not online: Get a little notebook or a few pieces of paper and write anything that comes to mind between now and the date the coast is clear. Example: "65 degrees, feeling good, talked to Mom, and looked at the cat and imagined the Virgin Mary hugging me and protecting me." Etc. I know, I do imagine that sometimes...

c) Be creative: Sing a song, pull out some crayons or markers, make that scrapbook with Shutterfly you've always put aside (get ahead for Christmas!) use old clothes to hand sew a quilt. The options are endless!

Put on a special hat

Toss on a favorite scarf that makes you feel smart.

Write that story or make that scrapbook!

Blend into the pattern. Work it!

Creative cat, you!

I'll be starting the 19 day novena (prayer) tomorrow to Mary. She asks us to look to her as our helper, our mother and our friend. So I think it only fitting to do as old sailors did in peril, as those suffering from the plague and as we did in 2015 when Hurricane Sandy hit us and we all put Mary outside of our house and asked for the storm to pass. The storm passed by all of our houses which should have been flooded over... Now? She listens and will guide us through this storm.