I hope we continue to cook home-made meals. Share recipes, bake cookies and eat dinner at the table as a family talking about our days. Sharing what we are struggling with and just in general making time and space for our emotional health.

I hope we slow down on the txt messages and social media to pick up the phone and continue phone calls and video calls with our family and friends near and far. The types of conversations we are having right now have the quality that will change the world's epidemic of loneliness because we are PRESENT when we do them. On the same thing...the frequency that we do this needs to stay the same too! People are important and life is short.

I hope we continue to check-in on people. See how they are doing just for the simple fact that life can be hard and we all take it in differently. The way we are coming together right now to help everyone's emotional space to process what is going on right now makes me want to explode with happiness.

I hope we continue working out and moving. People have found out how much their moods and body change from a simple walk. Also, how we have so many ways to work out at our fingertips. Being healthy is a choice and we are choosing as a society right now to take care of ourselves! It's amazing to see it!

I hope we continue to appreciate everyone's profession big and small. Seeing people look at the grocery store clerks like heart surgeons, drop everything to help the truck drivers, and see stay-at-home-moms and teachers in a new light is inspiring. We live in a society where the number of years you attend school and the letters after your name sometimes are the ways we judge success and importance, but after this, I hope we remember that EVERY JOB and EVERYONE plays an important role. The simple "I appreciate you" "Thank You" goes a long way and I hope we continue saying it every. single. chance we get.

I hope we continue to take quiet time alone just for ourselves. Reading, journaling, mediating...whatever it is we are becoming more mindful and when we are able to take care of ourselves this way we have space to help others who struggle.

I hope when we are able to RSVP to bday parties, baby showers, weddings, girls nights, book clubs, and quality time with family/friends we stop saying "maybe." I hope this time away craving those relationships has allowed us to see that when someone invites you to something they WANT you there and that either say YES with your whole heart and GO or say a GRACEFUL no with why you will miss being with them is how we need to show we care about relationships. I hope we never IGNORE an RSVP, and realize that things we are invited to are an honor to be on that list.

I hope we continue to support small businesses. Finding local restaurants, wine stores, children play places, boutiques, grocery stores, libraries, and more. Seek them out they are the backbone of our communities and I am enjoying hearing and learning about so many new places in my area too!

I hope we continue to organize our homes and throw stuff out/ recycle stuff we don't need. In America, we are a very "stuff" centered society. Having clean and organized spaces that we LIVE is not only just good to look at but it allows us more time to be with family/friends rather than searching for things that are hidden under our crap. It is also good for our mindsets. Living in a place we ENJOY being in changes our moods...and I know so much organizing and cleaning is going on right now I hope this continues.

I hope we continue to have faith. When life throws us moments like this...which this won't be the last one having faith in something else allows us weight off our chest and this ability to continue with life because we know it will work out. Believe in God, Jesus, Buddah, Allah, The Universe...whatever feels good to you...but I see so many people finding a faith that speaks to them and I hope we continue that.

I hope we spend more time outside. Waving at our neighbors saying hello and asking how they are doing. I hope we reply with more than just "fine" that we cherish our small conversations with everyone we pass.

I hope board games, puzzles, reading and playing with family stays and less screentime continues. These are moments where memories are being made, and I hope we realize that these moments are the memories we will talk about for the rest of our lives.

I hope we continue being vulnerable and honest about our feelings and struggles. In our social media world, it is beyond a problem how fake we all appear at times. This moment right now scrolling and seeing people share their fears....and then scrolling the comments that are full of SUPPORT, ENCOURAGEMENT, EMPATHY, and KINDNESS this is how we should be all the time. However, we need to give people the opportunity to SHOW us these by sharing our real lives.

I hope we continue appreciating the little things. Like good weather that allows us a walk. The jobs that provide us a living and keep the roofs over our heads. The ability to walk in and out of stores to casually stroll the isles. The neighborhood playground for an afterschool activity. The list goes on, but the simple things are so precious to us right now I hope it continues.

I hope we cherish the experience of eating out at a restaurant, going to the movies, visiting the zoo, seeing our museums, the thrills at the amusement parks, and nights listening to live music (for me I miss concerts at RedRocks). I hope we will put phones away while eating out and truly enjoy the company around us too.

I hope we continue to realize how our choices don't just impact ourselves but the people around us. Mostly right now our health but in general this is just all of our choices. I know its hard to make choices that are not fun, isolate us, screw with our schedules but the coice we make directly impacts our world because we are so interconnected. I hope we look at our neighbor who might be different from us in every way but make choices that are better for everyone, not just us.

#socialdistencing #thenewworld #kindness #empathy #covid19