Still Looking for Roses
By Janel Frost, Michigan H&V
Having time to stop and smell the roses is sometimes thrown upon you when you most need it. That’s exactly what has recently happened to me with something so unexpected and awful that I would have never dreamed this, even in a million years. All I can say is that it was very timely for me. Maybe it was for you too?
Can any of you relate to my life prior to my new awakening? I wake up the crack of dawn, take a stretch and before you know it, I am off to the races making breakfast and waking the first of the clan by 5:50 a.m. so he doesn’t miss the bus. One by one, I help them all get off for their day leaving me alone by 8:20 a.m. This allows me ten minutes to get myself ready before I start my workday. Having my own schedule and being a contractor for the Michigan Chapter should mean I could stretch things out a bit, but then I think of all the things on the “to do list” and I get to work quickly. Before I know it, it’s noon and I am finally getting something to eat. No time to waste, I spend no more than 15 minutes and get back to the laptop and phone. Once again, I am surprised that it’s already 3:30 p.m. and I need to run to the school for pick up. I race to do some quick chores around the house, make dinner and spend about an hour with the family. Some nights I will hop on an evening webinar or training for work. If I am lucky my head will hit the pillow by 10 p.m., but most nights it’s midnight. And then I start all over bright early the next morning.
That was my life until the COVID-19 virus roared in like a lion. At first, my life was so turned upside down, I really couldn’t wrap my mind around a single thing to get anything done or to be able to process much of anything. The house was full with everyone invading my workspace and I now was in charge of making room for their work spaces. No one was sleeping well, and we weren’t following a healthy diet, lifestyle or schedule. Most days I didn’t even know what day it was.
But then it happened. The day came where I took a BIG, DEEP BREATH. There was no running to sporting events, extended family and friend events, or just leaving the house in general. I looked around. I really looked around. I saw those things I haven’t in a long while. I saw a beautiful family in front of me. I started to feel, laugh and love more than I had in a long while. I played four square, did puzzles, cooked and cleaned and was enjoying it all because there was no rush.
No one wished for the COVID-19 virus to appear. Now, more than a year since I wrote that, I have to admit while I have slowed down and seem to have readjusted how I spend my day, I often feel myself hopping into that hamster wheel once again. There is an anxiety in the air when it comes to school, work and pretty much life in general. I work hard every day to remind myself of my priorities and goals for my day, week and month so that I don’t slip into the land of “what the heck am I doing?”
The pressure of being in charge of a state organization that supports so many families often feels pretty big. During this pandemic, that feeling intensified. Even though our in-person activities have decreased, the support provided to families has not stopped, but has in some ways increased. Our organization has a program that supports families through the educational process and, this year, that support is needed more than ever. The pressure to stay ahead of all the data and information coming out and relaying that to parents can sometimes feel daunting. I am very grateful for all the support from Headquarters and our other Chapters. I still can’t help but feel a bit anxious and often like I am back at the beginning of this job, even though I’ve held this particular position for five years. Everything feels new and different.
Looking back to April 2020, I know I have grown as a person and a leader in an organization. Experiences of all kinds will help you do that. My goal now is to keep stopping and smelling those roses. If I have learned anything, being in the moment and living this life with intention and purpose is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, life can pass you by and you will miss those beautiful, brief roses. ~