We have been sheltering in place (or sheltering in safety…?) at home since March. Now we are staring down the nose at June. We’ve gone through the 5 stages of grief, we have wallowed, we have eaten all the bread, and now, for most of this, we have begun to adjust to our new normal. Just in time for change.

As the world slowly dips its toe into opening back up, it’s worth some time to analyze the past few months. We have sacrificed a lot, but what have we gained? What lessons and habits of quarantine do you want to carry with you as you move forward?

Perhaps it is that you appreciate the down time in your schedule Before we return to the host of obligations and activities we had in the before, maybe it’s an opportunity to revisit which activities you want to plug back into, and which you want to let go of?

Perhaps you needed to know that we live in a society that will sacrifice a LOT for the safety of the vulnerable. That a few thousand people would turn into full time sewists to benefit people they will probably never meet. Maybe you needed to know that Modern America was capable of this level of love. As we adjust back to lives in the Outside, maybe you could consider ways to invest your time and heart into the greater good of our community, into groups of fixers and makers who dream of the world as a better place.

Perhaps you have loved meals around the table. A daily practice of gathering the hearts and plates of the ones you love most. Maybe as we go back to normal, meal planning, cooking, and setting aside a family meal time is a practice you will keep.

Perhaps outside time, walking, running, hanging out in the sunshine has been something that brings you life during this time. As the world cranks back up, setting aside blocks of time on a regular basis to move your body in the great outdoors matters.

Perhaps you have reawakened a love of creating in the process of making masks. You remembered the long dormant passion for making things with your hands and your imagination. Cultivating a practice of art and creativity could be a priority moving forward.

What has mattered to you these past few months? How can you keep these new practices moving forward?