Moving from Crisis to the New Normal

With coronavirus, most of us have been in crisis mode since the second week of March. We burned the candle at both ends, and relit another from its flame right before it sputtered out. We figured out how to do our jobs from home, help our kids do school from home, and how to take care of ourselves and each other as best we could.

I mean, it really is sort of amazing. I know our church was up and online in 7 days. People who had never ordered groceries swiftly learned how to do curbside or delivery. People who hated computers and wanted nothing to do with them took a deep breath, downloaded Zoom, and have been getting on regularly, cheering the spirits of their friends and family members. Bravo, us!

Now, we're facing the idea that this is probably going to go on for a while, and we're going to need to find sustainable ways to live in this way. We're experimenting with expanding our protective bubbles, moving our furniture around, throwing out the sourdough starter if we don't actually want to bake bread, and figuring out how we can do things in better and/or easier ways. We're moving out of crisis mode.

And good thing, because there are other crises ready to pile on top, and we have to figure out how to do them in the time of Corona.

As for me, I'm going to hit "pause" on writing blog pieces 5 times a week and go back to my sporadic practice, which means there may be one post a week, or none, or 5 in one day if I really get riled. If you're a member of Live Oak, I'll still be writing once a week in our newsletter, and you can always follow me on Facebook.

I resisted calling this time "the new normal," which was probably 98% me still in fierce denial that this was happening and would continue to happen for the foreseeable future.

But here's the deal ... it is. This is the new normal and we can't wish it away. But from my experience, anything can become ordinary. That was one of the big surprises of childhood cancer, how quickly it became normal, the routine of going to the hospital, taking the meds, walking the floors while pushing her iv pole.

The goal now is to make it the best version of this normal it can be. To be of service to each other, to work for justice, and to find some pleasure in each day. "Ordinary Time" in the pandemic.

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