Does Your COVID Time Have A "Silver Lining?"
I recently asked my Facebook friends and family if there has been a "silver lining" for them during this pandemic time. The one hundred plus replies that I received either on Facebook or through email had one thing in common - the gift of time.
And in every case, responders described using that time in positive and productive ways.
The most common answer involved more time with family and the joy derived from shared meals, taking walks together, or just hanging around. There was no mention of missing the stress related to over-scheduled after-school and weekend activities. Instead, answers described reconnecting with immediate family members as well as those friends and kin far away. More than one responded with "improved relationships between siblings" in families with young children, and those with high school-age kids described "reconnecting with their teens." And the most poignant sentiments came from parents of young adults who are relishing their offspring's return to the nest!
Popular answers chronicled more time for cooking and baking, often as a shared family activity. Getting on that "bread baking bandwagon" provided a therapeutic (kneading dough) and comforting (the smell and taste of freshly baked bread) gift for the whole family. In our household, thanks to my daughter Mia, the sourdough bread baking craze put the counting carbs craze on hiatus for most of the lockdown. And opportunities to try new recipes abounded. My niece, Julie, tried a new recipe every day for 46 straight days!
After culinary pursuits, gardening came in a close second. For some, it was new territory where they tested their green thumb for the first time. For others, it was a return to the delights of growing and tending plants. Such pursuits are the epitome of patience and optimism, so like some "starting from scratch" recipes, planting seeds can be mindfulness at its best.
Rediscovering the pleasure of books gets honorable mention, as does yoga and other forms of exercise.
And spending more time with pets or acquiring new ones figured prominently as well. Laura fostered 22 dogs and puppies and Holly even named her new furry friend "Silvie," short for "Silver Lining"!
I've included a sampling of responses, and if you haven't shared your "silver lining," we would love to hear from you. We just can't get enough of these positive affirmations… and if you have pics, we'd love those too!
Giancarlo - Baking, of course.
Michele - Family time
Lisa - Lots of creativity
Mimi - As someone who lives alone, in an apartment, sans yard or porch, I have been thrilled by my job as a nanny to two delightful children with fantastic parents. I have spent almost every day outside with them in a park.
Laila - Reading, listening to Jordi Savall and painting. I have been doing these 3 things for hours and hours each day.
Edward - Finding new ways to enjoy life and work.
Robert - Reading and writing.
Amy - Gardening seems to have helped to restoreth my soul. And friends .... like you.
Terry - Making pizza from scratch.
Sonali - Family time, time for reading and reflection, connecting often and deeply with friends virtually, baking bread, Marie Kondoing the house, exercising more than usual, lots of yoga.
Eve - COVID hit a reset button on our balance of parenting and domestic duties, rather than 15 hours at an office or four days on the road, husband was around the kids 24-7 for six months and so saw all our needs and all the work that goes into family life.
Ellie - Slowing down/less rushing.
Julie - I think the most fun I had, besides family, was trying to cook something different every day for dinner. I kept track and I made something different for 46 consecutive days. Now that was fun.
Margaret - All of the above with gratitude,
John - family time, alone time and reading.
Rasha - Family time. And the significant slowing down of the frenzied pace. Now we all know we can survive without all these activities.
Shannon - Better connections with my teenagers
Jessica - Yes, quality family time. We grew a small garden and the girls are much closer. And I'm no longer a chauffeur for three hours every afternoon.
Suzanne - More family time and now more family with two grandchildren born within the last month!
Elsa - My daughter coming home for a few months. I never thought she'd live in our house again. I was out of my mind happy. Also, not having to make a decision about going out at night.
Maria - Family time, two brothers who have grown so close, deeper appreciation for dear -friends, deeper appreciation for nature and movement, deeper gratitude for so many things I barely noticed before.
Valerie - Lots of zoom yoga and webinars and working on getting a photography book published.
Elizabeth-Family time, the kids playing together - building forts, making costumes for their funny videos, no rushing around town in traffic.
Diane- Morning exercise with friends, yoga, growing vegetables on my deck and wine with my neighbor!!
Lynda - Poetry, music, journaling, making phone calls to old friends, writing letters, and hanging out with my cat!
Nancy - Such a loving family..
Claudia - My writing, my vegetable garden that I was too impatient to previously care for.
Donna - Definitely finding a new definition of what family is all about. Finding so much kindness in people because of the extra time they have.
Kerry - Family time for sure. Learning to take things more slowly, therefore not always feeling so rushed. And taking more time do things around the house.
Mallory - Working on the installation of a new home...finishing touches. Learning more about a new island lifestyle,
Michelle - Definitely a chance to reconnect with friends and family, and more time with my hands in the dirt, much needed grounding during such a stressful tim
Khaleelah - Having my husband at home, spending the quarantine w my in-laws and my husband and my in-laws getting the opportunity to spend that time with our son and really see his development over the course of those months. He has also developed a supremely deeper bond with all of them.
Ana - Adding furry friends to the pack, kids couldn't be happier !
Natasha - Art, music and gardening!
Holly - We named our new dog Silver Lining, Silvie, because Bill wasn't on board with us getting a dog yet. When the quarantine kicked in it was too hard for him to keep saying no. It's a great time to have a dog:)
Natalia - Family Time.
Christine-Time with my husband and my dog. The best!!
Deborah - Putting my priorities in order and creating a great vegetable garden
Daniela - My children became best friends and I have been there to witness it !
Emmanuelle - Reading, cooking !
Myrna - it is so hard to find a silver lining. I find comfort in knowing my faith and family is always there.
Melissa - Time with my boyfriend
Gabrielle - Love reading these comments! For me, yoga, walks, time with Aaron and the boys before they went to college. Long talks on the phone with my sister and friends. Time has slowed down in that there is no longer the crazy schedule of activities. But time …
Leyla - Long walks, enjoying nature!
Kristin - Ive been hired to produce for two different networks, two different shows, one a two-hour doc.
Sarah - Relearning Italian and watching Vittorio de Sica movies whenever I feel like it. Plus I have never been so physically fit. Metaphysically less so but that will change when we see what happens next ...
Laura - Our silver lining has been, and continues to be, the gift of time which has allowed us to foster 22 dogs and puppies so far. It's hard work and behind the scenes it's not glamorous. But, the look on the faces of the adopting families is priceless!
