Believe it or not, through the mess that 2020 has been so far, I have learned something valuable: to focus on relationships.
Typically, I am quite the multitasking woman. I thrive in an environment that is fast-paced and busy. It is how I am most productive and gives me my most successful results. I ride this busy train until I crash. I recuperate, tell myself I am going to slow down a bit and then I don’t. I jump right back into it.
I am addicted to being busy.
When quarantine and the pandemic hit, I was forced to refocus.
All of a sudden, I was working from home. The kids missed their school. Baseball season stopped. Birthday parties were cancelled. Wednesday night church was postponed. As someone who loves volunteering and interaction, it was like hitting a brick wall.
As the dust settled, I began to realize how important social interaction of any kind became. Daily texts from friends were no longer something I had to remember to do, but thrived on. Scheduling weekly FaceTime calls was important. I would sit on the porch and chat with friends, while the kids “played” with friends through the screen. While different than what we expected, this continued to offer a means of connection.
We have learned to intentionally carve out time for one-on-one play. Learning more and more about the true value of friendship, I know better now how to slow down and enjoy friendly water balloon fights, sit on the dock or time in a friend’s living room snuggling their new puppy.
