The Day the World Stopped

"Oh today is gonna be another busy day for me, so pick your sister up from school for me" I yelled to my half-awake daughter as I hurried out the door. I had to leave home an hour before my scheduled arrival time because traffic was always hectic during the week and I had to stop to get breakfast. I have this routine down packed, I have been running this rat race for years. I was headed to get breakfast and listening to Steve Harvey in the morning. I felt the side eyes as I laughed at Nephew Tommy and his prank call. People were so uptight they didn't value a good laugh anymore. I didn't care though, I needed my daily dose of laughter to make it through the day. I ordered my usual breakfast and some how was able to squeeze breakfast, morning car meditation, and a prayer call all in on my forty-five minute commute to work.

I drove in the parking lot, I had a few minutes to find a park and walk inside. I walk in and do my normal hellos and hugs and scurry to my office to read and answer all the company emails. For the next couple hours the phone calls and company gossip was at an all time high. I could hear the chatter around me about what everyone had done, was doing and thinking about doing. I couldn't get in the chatterbox today because I was planning on leaving at five on the dot, because I had to pick up dinner, snacks for my daughter's basketball team, cook and got to her game. It was finally lunchtime and I was already drained. I walked in the breakroom and could smiled at the aroma of all the potluck items everyone had brought. But in an effort to boost my energy I grabbed one of Linda's cupcakes, a Krispy Kreme doughnut and a cup of coffee. I knew that was not the best lunch but mine was at home and I did not have the time to wait for the microwave. In the background someone had the national news on and the news was reporting about something going on in China but I paid it no mind because I wasn't planning any trips to China anytime soon, so I took this time to get caught up on the office gossip.

Now my day was over and I had about two hours to pick up dinner and snacks at the grocery store, put it in the crock pot and make my way to my daughter's basketball game. I arrived to the grocery store and ran in shortly after the meat man stocked up before he left. There was so much to choose from but I couldn't ponder long. I picked up a pack of chicken breast, a box of chips and 24 sports drinks and headed out.

I was now cutting it close but I made it home in time to stuff the chicken breast, put it in the crockpot and make it to my daughter's game just to hug each one of her teammates and wish them luck in this rivalry game. I took my usual seat and watched as hundreds of fans filled the gym. After four quarters my daughter's team were victories and I had the duty of passing them all snacks for their hard work. Afterwards, we rushed home for dinner, homework, showers and bed. I turned on the TV to watch my favorite show and about fifteen minutes in my day proved to be too much and I was asleep.

Now here we are two weeks later. My alarm clock is no longer set to wake me up for work, its set for five am, for my morning worship. I had a choice to shower now or wait...I showered and started breakfast because I was not leaving home to go to work. I received a call last weekend that we would no longer be working from the office but we would transition to working at home. No more office hugs and hellos, the last time I visited the office to pick up our at home software everyone was wearing mask and six feet separated us. This six feet made it hard to hug and the mask made it hard to gossip. Now my bed was my office and the regular emails and calls were at a minimal because there were orders in place now that was limiting everyone. My daughter's school was closed and they were doing at home studies and all school related activities had been cancelled. So my kitchen table was now her homeschool area. I still tuned in to the Steve Harvey Morning Show while I cooked breakfast, got in my morning laugh with Nephew Tommy and woke up the kids.

I had to spend some time rearranging things because when talks of this pandemic actually hitting The United States, I along with millions flooded the stores for ridiculous amounts of tissue, paper towels, disinfectant sprays, disinfectant wipes, gloves, mask, and food. A television that had merely been mounted for decoration was now on the news channel twenty-four hours a day. So now my living room was a small make shift supermarket and newsroom. Which was a good thing because every time I logged in to social media someone was asking where these items were, and I was stocked and had no reason to leave home. The latest stay-at-home order had been extended yet again, to protect the public from this virus.

Who would have thought that the rat race of life would slow to turtle run? I couldn't believe it but I was beginning to enjoy it. For the first time in a long time my teenagers and I shared laughter all day long. I didn't even know how funny, smart and talented these girls really were. Everything around me was going so slow I had time to complete my regular work and start on a few ideas I had of my own. I was even able to catch up with some old friends on social media and get some great laughs. I saved some money because my walks at the mall had been replaced with walks in the neighborhood because the mall was closed. I had began to cook a little more but not much. I now had fun tasting the food from many of the local restaurants that were doing curbside pickup.

I was falling in love with this new life, people were supporting people and becoming more creative. I thought my mental health would be in jepordy after being at home for a couple weeks but it was actually opposite. I finally realized how important it really was to "stop and smell the roses". The roses were always there but I had never really seen them because they were not a part of my daily routine and due to time restraints I couldn't stop to smell them. I am realizing how important spending time with family is. I went in this pandemic worried about how it would hurt us all, I'm coming out free!!!