Does anyone really know what time it is? Actually I am having trouble tracking my days, its been awhile since I’ve had to work more than 6 days in a row (for which I am grateful) and I am all kinds of confused today. I was shocked to figure out it was only Tuesday at the end of the day, Tuesday! Anyway, I am happy to report that I am still here, still writing and managed to leave work before 7pm! Yay Me! I also managed to get a grocery order in and picked up; pro tip you can buy wine from Whole Foods with Prime and they bring it right to your car, very convenient, prepped myself a healthy lunch for tomorrow and did a 10 minute yoga for bedtime routine; I am killing it. Except my apartment is a mess, my dog thinks the staff at the Pet Suites is her real family, and I don’t even know where to start with the pile of binders and paper on my desk at work.

This quote was the basis for the Daily Calm meditation today and I thought it was very appropriate for the week or weeks I am having. It is very easy to get mired down in all of the bad, so I want to take an opportunity to acknowledge and see the good:

1. 1) Covid has caused my world to shrink, but I’ve also had the opportunity to open up to new possibilities and ideas.

2) Our challenges this week have shown us where we need to tighten up our processes and do a better job of communicating. Perhaps the lessons learned from this relatively small outbreak will help us prevent a larger outbreak later on down the road.

3) I’ve had more time to spend with my Mom, Sister and Niece; but I am really missing my niece and nephew up in Oklahoma.

4) I now realize that I love being outdoors and its time stop thinking about someday and just go out and do the things I want to do.

5) I work for a company that provides us with the supplies and resources we need to manage an outbreak effectively. I can trust that I will have what I need to keep my residents and staff safe, and I realize I am very fortunate that Erickson Living has put the health and safety of its employees and residents over profit this year. I know others are not so lucky.

6) I ‘ve been forced to assess what is really important to me and for the first time ever, I really want to plan for the future and take control, not just let life happen.

7) I am grateful I made the decision to move closer to where I work, where my Mom lives and where my sister and brother in-law live, I appreciate a having a much shorter commute and not having to deal with traffic on 75 everyday.

8) I now value the ability to step outside and breathe without restriction, those of you that work in N95s will definitely understand how good it feels to step outside, take your mask off and take a good deep breath.

9) My team has cultivated a very special environment at work, one in which our family members trust us, value the work we do and support us. I hear time and time again from family members how much they appreciate what we are doing for them and for their family members and we continue to navigate through some choppy waters. But we laid the foundation long before Covid hit and that has made all the difference in the world.

10) I am grateful tonight that I am where I am, I know it is where I am supposed to be right now and I can’t describe how good that feels. I know that might be an odd statement to make when I’ve started talking about planning for the future; but it’s true. I think the ability to understand and appreciate this feeling makes planning for the future possible. Regardless, I am grateful that I am where I am.

Stay safe out there friends! Wash Your Hands and Where Your Mask!