I truly hope you all had a very lovely 4th of July!
Independence Day has always been my favorite holiday...getting together with friends and family with no obligations of gifts or expectations...a time to share the gift of ourselves with one another. Oh how I missed that this year. With the threat of Covid lurking behind every corner and with its' increasing intensity and vulnerability being blasted from the rooftops - it was only my husband and I this holiday. And although I know that should have been enough and we should both be so grateful for the continued health of ourselves, our friends and our loved ones - my heart still longed for that "new normal" which quietly echoes through the land to be our "old normal".
Please don't scold me for wanting things to feel familiar once again...I know each day brings changes, many of them much better for us all...and I am one to usually embrace change...but maybe just today I long for yesterday...I yearn for what was..I miss what felt like a comfy pillow sweetly cradling my head in just the right way.
Then again, what's so great about normal anyway - a normal temperature? That's good. A normal medical diagnosis? Fantastic! But a return to normal life...hmmm? What about all the times our "normal" did shift? Our moves to other cities and towns - which led to the houses we transformed into cozy homes. The unexpected changes that struck without warning - pushing us to embrace their challenges and opportunities for renewal.
Yes - it was often hard - darn hard! But along with the pain came much needed life lessons - bearing skills we gained in order to survive and even thrive. It's time...time to put these skills to work once again. Time to open that dusty trunk where these treasures have been so safely packed away pulling out all that valuable experience and ingenuity once again!
A "new normal"? Perhaps my "new normal" is actually a gift - a gift to myself - another time to re-set and re-shape my life. A season of graceful refinement.
My holiday was different this year...and these changes for us all will most likely continue for some time. But I am going to do my best to keep that trunk of mine unpacked so I can readily draw on those gifts I have been given to use each day. I will lean on God to direct me to what will be not my "new normal" - but my "new exceptional life".
I'm trying,
Carrie
Carrie,
ReplyDeleteThis was well said. Thank you for sharing from your heart. I too am starting to look at a re-set or re-shape of my life. Your post has encouraged me to press on.
Thank you,
Carla
Oh, Carrie! I am so delighted to meet you! I rushed over here as soon as I saw your comment on my blog! I am going to be your newest follower! We both have a deep love for all things warm and cozy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post today! I totally agree and love the way you stated the way to handle the intangible we are feeling. Thank you! Have a cozy afternoon.
ReplyDeleteSo true - I have discovered that living the simple life during the past few months was a needed break for us - a way to slow life down, purge the unneeded stuff in our home and just relax! Thanks for stopping by Pandora's Box!!
ReplyDeleteyou are so right we need to lean on our inner resources to get through this.
ReplyDeleteWe did get out for lunch today and it was nice we at a little cafe outside.
Cathy
You have such a good attitude bout this, what a beautiful post. I love seeing you, you are so pretty! It may just be good for us to slow down a little bit.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all feeling what you said so well here. We all are at a place of trying to find the new normal. Have a great new week ahead.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Kris
All we can do is try!
ReplyDeleteCarrie, Our 4th is normally our family reunion . Not this year. I missed all my siblings and grands. I was just thankful to see my 4 daughters and hear their voices. I wore my mask and so did Ted...we all spaced apart. Blessings to you and yours, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteHi Carrie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. Yep the world seems cotton pickin crazy these days. I used to live in WA and am SO thankful I left the West Coast where I lived most of my life between CA and WA. I bought a home online in the Appalachian mtns. LOVE it here. I work in a tourist town in GA and there are thousands of happy people in the streets every day and I do food demos and serve about 500 people a day. No masks, no fear and happy folks. A total different part of the world for sure. I have never put on a mask, or had to change my lifestyle much. Friends got together for the largest and best 4th I have ever experienced. I sure hope you can find a way to allow your heart to sing. Psalm 91 rocks during this time. Blessings to you. Now I am off to explore your blog.
I can relate to many of the things you are saying here, Carrie. I long for the simple days of yesterday too. I think this time we are in does give us a chance to reflect on things. I smiled when you said, "yes - it was often hard, darn hard!" as I've had so many days like that, too many to count. I'd love to see that dusty trunk of yours with all those treasures. And thank you for having such a good attitude and sharing your thoughts with us tonight. May July bring you so much goodness, Carrie.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Oh I get it! Even my New Norm isn't Norm right now! But I'm teaching those around me that we have to bring the fun. Can't sit and wait for the "19" to be over...dance on the patio, laugh until dawn. Lovelovelove to you, Sweet Friend😘😘😘
ReplyDeleteGreat post and well said...I have been posting about remaining positive and using this time as am opportunity to "reset" life...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Hugs,
Debbie
It was a quite 4th for me also. Your post was very nice and I enjoyed it very much. Have a blessed day. Madeline
ReplyDeleteIt was the strangest 4th of July ever. Not a soul walked down our lane to the beach. No one was out and about.
ReplyDeleteThis year's Independence Day celebration was different for me as well, but I'm thankful that it was still enjoyable. Good post. Blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteYes, things sure have changed. We really missed our parade and tradition of a July 4 brunch afterwards. But I too try to see what I can learn and how to maybe make the new normal a little better. I don't happen to like change, and am sometimes dragged kicking and screaming, haha! But always, always, some good comes xo Deborah
ReplyDeleteThis year's 4th of July was nice. I spent the day with my mom. We made chili dogs, baked beans and had chips. We also had cupcakes. Be well and stay safe!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I have moments when I want my "old" normal life and moments when I'm content in the changed time of 2020. I'm remembering difficult times past and using the skills I learned, too. Take care!
ReplyDeleteSo totally agree. I sure do miss some of what was "normal."
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I wish we could get to is consistency. In numbers,
what wee do or not do etc. Everyday something new come up.
Back in March and April I knew what to do but now it seems
like everything is in a frenzy and that has worn me out.
I try daily to be thankful for all our blessings but I am
missing some things. I miss my friends, actually being with them.
I know masks are important and I will continue to wear one
but I am so DONE with them.
Wishing you a good day.
M : )
I'm trying my best to use my time wisely as we go through this but it's hard...I know! I just take it a day at a time. Love your big pretty mug and your hair sure looks better than mine! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post and so well said. We are remaining pretty "normal" as we didn't go anywhere that much... home is our haven (we are retired) so after both working for 45 years, we're happy to just stay home.. so nothing new here.. the only thing new is that we do wear our masks out now to the stores and are more diligent about washing.. wish I did before anyway as there was always some sort of flu bug lurking around no matter what time of year it was! I think the slowing down is good for everyone.. good for the world and good for our communities.. makes them rethink the most important and necessary things and letting unnecessary and time consumming things go.. not needed for sure. Wish the social media would slow down too, but I think it's ramped up way too much! Take care.. enjoy "home"... Marilyn
ReplyDeleteYou talk a lot of good sense 😊
ReplyDeleteI love the look of your home, for the 4th of July! Very patriotic. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYes, we have to learn, from this "new normal." We did not choose it for sure. But the Wuhan Virus Pandemic descended on us, on us all. If we are to do more than survive, we must find ways, to still thrive, during this time.
Thank you for this post!
I enjoyed reading this post, Carrie. Very well said. You're a good writer; I hope you'll continue to blog. Hugs, Nancy
ReplyDelete