The light outside seems to be dancing as the sun prepares to go to sleep in a couple of hours. Gone is now August, the last month I consider a summer month (although technically most of September is still officially summer, but not in my books). September's air is cooler and it feels like fall to me. Here we are, at the very start of a new month. It’s a strange time with back to school looking so different for children than ever before. Some parents are preparing to expand on their homeschooling skills that they acquired this past spring, while others will navigate online learning and some will send their children to classrooms that look like the 1950s. What a weird time to be alive.
Photo by Estée Janssens - @esteejanssens
I don’t know how you’re feeling about things these days, but I’m so over this pandemic. What I mean is that I’ve grow weary of how it’s literally changed all of our lives. I of course will continue to obey my government, wear my mask out, use hand sanitizer, etc. I’m thankful that where I live in Canada we can go out to shopping centers, restaurants and see friends again. It’s been this way since June in Ontario with places opening back up again in slow stages. Still, life isn’t quite what we were accustomed to before. Some businesses have suffered such tremendous financial losses that they’ve had to cease to exist and others are at risk of having to close their doors permanently in the near future.
I wonder if any of this affected the funky/down mood I experienced for most of July and August. Like I said, I’m grateful that we can now see people again because my weekends, full of quality time with friends and family, have brought me so much joy. I’ve reconnected in person with people that I hadn't seen in months. I've had life-giving conversations, wandered through beautiful creation and ate delicious food. I have been intentional about my weekends this summer, planning them mid-week like I used to before the Coronavirus flipped our lives upside down in March. I’m learning that one of the things I need to do when I’m sad is schedule fun and make it a point to carve quality time with people that bring me up. Because the truth is my go to when I'm in a funky state is to isolate myself and sometimes that’s okay, but not always.
Photo by Artem Beliaikin - @belart84
So, let me ask you something. How are you doing? Is there something fun you need to plan into your week that will make you smile? Are there people you need to surround yourself with who will speak truth into your life? It’s a new month, which means a fresh start to dream and plan. What are you looking forward to this September? You're loved.
Raquel