“What are you doing today?”, asks my husband, John, as we wake up to yet another day of quarantine.
I think that is just about the sweetest thing a person could say to me right now. Because in this time of Covid, there really is nothing scheduled for my day, and John knows it, but pretends otherwise. He is “working from home” up in our son’s boyhood bedroom. Sounds of very official conference calls float out from behind the closed door. He emerges for snacks, lunch, a daily nap, and an occasional walk. I, on the other hand, have a much looser schedule. I did not have a full-time paid job when the stay-at-home order was put into place. So, instead of working from home, I now have lots of unstructured time. I order books online. I check Facebook, and check Facebook again. I start a new puzzle. Start a new season of “The Great British Baking Show”. All of which is wonderful and fulfilling…to a point.
As the days became weeks and weeks became months, I realized I needed more of an anchor to my loose, very loose, schedule. So, I sat down and wrote a list of how I wanted to fill my time. The daily things are obvious: take a shower, walk 10,000 steps (well, maybe 5,000), do a few sit-ups, take a nap, read the newspaper, feed the dog and cat, and make dinner. Oh, and call a family member or friend.
Throughout the week I have an online book club, an online lecture, and online church. And books and puzzles and games or television with my husband in the evening.
It all sounds very busy. Believe me, it is not. It still leaves hours of time for Netflix or Sudoku or napping. Or nothing.
Pre-Covid, I was a Very Busy Person. When John would ask me what my plans for the day were, he got a long list of Very Important Things.
But now, when John asks me what I have planned for the day, my list is shorter, much shorter, and much less productive in the traditional sense. I am getting used to it … mostly. More importantly, I’m starting to gain some useful insights from this very slow period in my life.
I’m learning that life can be satisfying and meaningful without having to be productive. Doing a puzzle or playing a game with my husband gives me just as much (in fact, probably more) joy than completing another task on my list-of-things-to-do. My value does not depend on how much I get done in a day.
So, today’s delight: having all the time in the world, having very little that actually needs to get done, appreciating the small daily things I do get done, and, most importantly, understanding that busy does not necessarily mean happy.
*I want to be sensitive to the fact that financially, I am able to fill my stay-at-home time without worrying about how I will pay these month’s bills. My heart aches for those who have lost their source of income. We need to continue to support these people in our community in any way possible.