Quarantine and Silver Linings

It’s seven weeks into staying at home in self-quarantine. Before you roll your eyes and call me Positive Polly, hear me out. I know it might seem weird or uncomfortable to find silver lining right now, but don’t feel guilty for it. It’s ok if you’re experiencing unexpected glimmers of hope and joy. ⠀
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It’s also ok if you feel positive AND negative at the same time. There’s no rule book here and we are all in different boats. A lot is stressful and sad and that part is in our face 24/7. However, I’m personally thankful for a few things that I’m just not sure would have happened without a global reset… I wanted to share.⠀
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1. Someone made a Facebook group for people who were in my college town the same years I was and it’s the best time suck. People are uploading old party pictures from their disposable cameras and reminding me of memories I’d forgotten and connecting over shared experiences. It’s the nostalgia I didn’t know I needed.⠀
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2. I’m using technology to talk to my out of town friends face to face. We are making time to sit together on FaceTime and vent/laugh/gossip and even though we’ve always lived apart, we are realizing how valuable that connection is and prioritizing it.⠀
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3. My neighbors and I have gotten closer and built a strong network. We ask who needs anything from the store, share baked goods via porch drop offs, and do socially distant birthday celebrating. I’m connecting with my immediate geographical community. (What a concept eh?)⠀
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4. My bucket list memoir I’ve barely touched in a year is officially a first draft. I’ve spent hours building out the structure and vision of my life’s stories and written tens of thousands of words because I’m here, at home, with nowhere to be. This means I’m only months away from publishing my bare soul to the world(!)⠀
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It sucks so much in so many ways, but damn, beautiful, quarantine specific things are happening if you look carefully.⠀