SUNNYSIDE UP MOMENT - MAY 24, 2020

DAY SIXTY-NINE OF THE CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE FOR US AT STACK 'EM HIGH PANCAKES AND SO FORTH

Like so many other people, I have found not working to be a tremendous amount of work.  From creating homeschool curriculum to creatively cooking from the freezer to navigating small business loans and big business plans, every endeavor requires an original strategy, an innovative approach and exponentially more energy than before. 

Nearly every aspect of life no longer resembles its former self.  Even every day tasks masquerade as daunting challenges.  Going to the grocery store used to be one of my favorite rituals.  Now, instead of accessorizing with my stylish, reusable bags, I don my stylish, reusable mask and venture into the building formerly known as my happy place.  I used to love leisurely strolling through the produce department, gathering inspiration from the colors and textures and the array of seasonal bounty.  I enjoyed chatting with the employees while they happily oblige my request for half a napa cabbage or permission to dig through the bumped and bruised fruits and vegetables.  Now, I wave to my produce partners from a measured distance hoping they can tell I am trying to shoot them a smile from the folds my face covering.  There is no time to ask about their kids, because they are too busy scrubbing refrigeration doors while patrons still mindlessly sort through unwrapped heads of lettuce and bins of bare-skinned carrots and snap peas.  That is usually when the battle between reason and regulation begins in my brain, and I schlep through the remaining aisles feeling defeated.

I never thought I would be so troubled by routine trips to the grocery store, but I don’t think I am alone in this struggle.  When easy things seem hard and the hard things seem impossible, all of the plates spinning in the air can arouse a spiral of anxiety and angst.  The only way I know to stop that train in its tracks is to focus on one revolving responsibility at a time.  I can’t worry about re-opening the restaurant while I am giving my kids a spelling test.  I have to break it all down and attack the work piece by piece.  Mother Teresa said, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”  The beauty of this approach isn’t just in the salvation of our sanity, it’s in the cumulative collection of ordinary efforts steeped in extraordinary love.  Every little thing is gonna be alright.  And every little thing can turn a dark day bright.