Meeting the Challenge

It's a challenge, to be sure.

My challenge during this third month of the pandemic and the accompanying stay-at-home order is to look for the good, for things that make me happy, for the things I appreciate.

I woke up yesterday just past 4 a.m., as I usually do. I didn't want to get up so early, so as I lay in bed I made a conscious effort to appreciate my wonderful mattress. It's so very comfortable. I listened to the quiet of the world outside my open bedroom window. I enjoyed the cool air from outside and the gentle breeze of the ceiling fan as it spun silently above my bed. 

It was then that I decided that, rather than dreading yet another day just like yesterday and the day before that and the day before that, I would look for the good, at least for the day at hand. 

I am reading an e-book that has captured my attention. I took my dogs on a nice walk on a beautiful, cool morning. I had many choices of what to eat for breakfast. ( A small bit of leftover egg salad and half of a deli chicken sandwich on sourdough were on today's menu.) This pandemic is giving me lots of things about which to write in this blog. Writing is something I have enjoyed since I was in middle school. It provides a creative outlet as well as a release for emotions. I enjoyed a nice walk on a sunny, warm but not hot, day, with New Mexico's brilliant blue sky above me. 

Because I don't sleep a lot at night (6 hours is a good night's sleep for me), I often enjoy a mid-day nap. I can't always fall asleep, but it's so nice to try. As I sit at my desk, I look out on my beautiful, desert-friendly yard with the towering Sandia Mountains beyond. I love the quiet and privacy my 1/2-acre yard provides. 

A short evening walk rounded out the day.

Focusing on the positive yesterday wasn't really hard. I think that starting this change in thinking before I even got out of bed set the tone for the rest of the day. Will I be able to continue this upbeat attitude until things are more or less back to normal? It won't be easy. 'Normal' won't return for months at a minimum. I know I will continue to be challenged by more trip cancellations, boredom, lack of photographic opportunities and just plain inertia. I find that there are days when, in addition to my usual 4 miles of walking, I pace, often in my back yard. I guess it's a way of burning nervous energy, eliminating some stress and enjoying being outside. 

Saying this has been a 'challenging' year is a huge understatement. We are all struggling and facing unique challenges. I hope I can continue, one day at a time, to meet the challenges I face with calmness and a minimum of stress.