COVID-19 Letter #3

Dear Main Street Community,

I hope this letter finds all of you healthy and settling into our new way of life. It has been an interesting few weeks, to say the least, and in addition to sharing some resources below, I wanted to express some thoughts and feelings.

I woke up last Saturday morning feeling quite relaxed. My husband was hard at work and our four sons and two dogs were still asleep. The rare opportunity of quiet allowed time to reflect about the day ahead.

What would we do today to fill our time? What type of workout would I do? What meaningful conversations might we have through the course of the day?

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind and like many of you, I vacillate through a range of emotions. Some days I feel very productive while working virtually with the Main Street staff, finding time to keep Nicol busy, cooking and enjoying many walks through our neighborhood. Other days I find myself deep in thought and wondering… what will life look like when we are on the other side of this virus? I find, even when I am not “doing” something I am thinking a lot…grappling with many diverse thoughts and emotions ranging from fear, reflection, gratitude to curiosity.

So this particular Saturday morning during our “shelter in place”, these similar thoughts occurred, always starting with, how will we fill the time? Then I took a deep breath and realized, I don’t have to plan the time or even think about anything – maybe I can just be.

So I made a hot cup of coffee and reached for the New York Times (as I have decided not to watch the news on TV as it stresses me out). I just sat in the quiet, enjoyed my coffee and felt incredibly relaxed.

I read the perfect article which validated exactly the way I was feeling and I wanted to share it with all of you – perhaps you need some “chill” validation too? The article encouraged readers to chill out as it is okay to NOT be productive. Today might be a great day to make a new recipe, organize a closet or to ride the Peloton bike…but it also might be a day to do nothing – no goals, no lessons…it might be the perfect day to sit on the couch, have a coffee and just be – AND to relish in it.

So for all of you reading this, maybe you might feel liberated to “just do you”. Take some time just to be, to find YOUR time to do what you need in the moment. I will tell you from experience – it feels really good!

For those who think I am nuts (I have heard this once or twice before) or those who are done “being” and need some action or some interaction, here are some great opportunities for you to stay connected:

NEW Main Street Virtual Game Nights starting Sunday April 18. We will start with Bingo AND we will have prizes! Registration will start next week.

Main Street Virtues Circles with Dara Feldman beginning April 15. Information about our member circles and registration will also be distributed next week.

Main Street Buddy Connections – Interested in connecting with a new friend? Sign up here.

Breathe and find your Chi (Chi means energy)! Email drsuki@dynamicvitality.com to join free stretch, movement and chi gong classes delivered by the talented dynamic duo, Suki and Russ Munsell (my amazing aunt and uncle!!) from Dynamic Vitality.

Super Saturday Socials from Art Stream are now virtually occurring on Saturdays from 4:30-5:30 here!

Need a little help getting through? Aunt Bertha can help. Aunt Bertha’s network connects people seeking help and verified social care providers that serve them by zip code.