Have you ever been on a retreat? When I attended parochial school years ago, we were often scheduled to go on retreat. This meant maybe 3 days of silence and prayer. You didn’t talk to your friends. kept your mouth shut, studied the bible, listened to sermons, and prayed. The purpose was to renew your faith, and refocus your life. Covid-19 has sent almost all of us on another kind of retreat. Away from the world you’ve known and the life you’ve always lived, you may end up with a new set of values. How Have You Changed during your Stay-At-Home Days?
Most everyone with a steady job enjoyed the extra sleep when working from home. You’d forgotten how much better you feel when not sleep deprived. Now, instead of staying up late watching TV, working on a project, or partying, you may strive to get at least seven hours sleep each night.
Improved hygiene. Did everyone wash their hands as often as they do now? I suspect that long after we return to normal life, we will have changed our hand washing habits. Which will lead to less sickness and fewer colds in the winter.
The pleasure of home cooked meals. . Yes, you’re tired of all the cooking, but you’ve probably tried some new recipes and gained confidence in your own culinary skills.
Finding out what you really don’t like. As an example, you’ve played competitive bridge for years. You thought you couldn’t live with out those endless bridge games . Surprisingly, you find you don’t miss them at all: The self blaming when you bid wrong or reneged. The mean spirited competition. No more sleepless nights going over a botched play, or a bad score. When the quarantine is over, you may decide to play less bridge, , and find other ways to entertain yourself. Like reading, or spending more time outside.
Hair styles. Most of us had routine hair appointments, wore the same style, and applied the same color for years. . You’ve almost forgotten your natural color, and it might surprise you to see that you really like it. Or you can try out a different color. You may find that you look better with longer hair, too. Many of us will look entirely different when we finally venture out into society.
How have you changed these past few months? Have you found the real you?