The world just feels a little strange right now, no?
We here in the Boegel household are going through what all of you are going through, I would guess. All kinds of cancellations, including things we’d looked forward to for months. A shift in the way we work and go to school. Since Tom’s business is college, and colleges are moving to online-only classes for the foreseeable future, that entails an awful lot of logistics work, as well as concern for the students and their families. School is a safe haven for many, and the provider of perhaps the only meals available for some students, which makes it even harder to find work-arounds for these types of situations. My own college has gone online as well, which let me tell you, sounds convenient but it really isn’t the most engaging way to learn. San Francisco is emptier than usual as most folks are working from home, and that makes it difficult for the local economy to sustain itself. Several health care workers who live in my neighborhood have reported how it is for them at work, which just sounds like a logistical nightmare.
It’s worrisome to think about the future. Being at home so much, and so isolated, means more opportunity to watch/listen/read the news, which just sends me into a tailspin. My mother and I have agreed that too much social isolation isn’t good for the mental health!
Thank God for the garden. Times like this, I’m always so grateful to have a beautiful place to wander in, a respite from the struggle of everyday life. I can search for bees and other insects, turn over the compost and watch the chickens enjoy what they find, smell the orange blossoms, feel the soft papery petals on the poppies, and tend my vegetables. I can also chat with my neighbors as they walk dogs or bike by. This helps immensely. I’m always reminded that the garden feeds more than my belly.
How are you all managing? It would be interesting for me to know how people across the country (or world) are faring, and it would be great to form a sort of community here, sharing ways to maintain our sanity and remain grounded in this crazy time. We need people!
Remain healthy, my friends.