Life Goes On...

By now, I honestly thought COVID would be a distant, unpleasant memory. I was wrong...

I do not know how or when this will end. I do not know what our 'new normal' will look like. No one does. I find it difficult to make any plans. And yet, life goes on. And so do we.

In the past two weeks, I lost my father, watched my oldest graduate from high school, and released my 11th book. Two. Weeks. I'm hoping things calm down for a bit.

There's a lesson in that. Despite a pandemic we've never before experienced, the world keeps turning. Babies are born. People die. My husband still works from home as he has for 5 years. Thing 1 will be starting college in a few weeks. Thing 2 still plays video games...for hours. The seasons have changed.

If you know me at all, then you know I am a HUGE control freak. I have wrestled with not having control over much of anything these past few months. And I know I am not alone in that. And then I remembered the biggest principle of stress management. Control what you can. Let the other stuff go. So, that's what I am trying to do. I get up everyday and eat healthy food. I exercise. I write. I read. Three days a week, I go to work. Because these things have not changed for me. And I can control them.

Sounds easy. It isn't of course. Some days are better than others. Some days it's hard to not curl into a fetal position. Or eat a gallon of ice cream. But, like the rest of you, I am trying.