LISTEN ON –
This week on the podcast, we’re taking a bit of a departure from our normal schedule of interviews to bring you an honest episode discussing how Kathleen and I are dealing with being quarantined during this time. None of this is really that easy, as you all know, and it seems that it’s only going to get harder.
We don’t have to look far to find news about how much the virus has spread, how unequipped we are to deal with it, and how it might last longer than we initially had anticipated. For musicians, freelance work has disappeared, orchestras have lost their seasons and even their paychecks, and all educational instruction has changed overnight.
We’re not experts on how to deal with this virus, but we’re trying. We’re trying to see the value in slowing down. We have significantly more time to spend with our kids. We are able to see that just because we have to stay home doesn’t mean we have to lose connection. The amount of people that have taken to sharing their playing videos and duet videos online is incredible, and it’s been amazing to see.
We’re trying to find what our needs look like in all of this. In the episode, I mentioned I began streaming videogames. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I dove in headfirst. Within one week, it was clear that the amount I was hoping to stream was only serving my needs, not the needs of everyone.
Be kind to yourself right now. Give yourself some room to breath and figure out what your life is now. Practice something you haven’t played in awhile. Follow @smallactsofbeauty on Instagram and join in looking for beautiful things that are around us.
To close this post, I wanted to share one more challenge that has appeared since we recorded the episode 5 days ago. We found out Birmingham schools will be closed for the remainder of the spring semester, and we are now responsible for home schooling our children and guiding their education.
I have always been thankful for the amazing people that teach our children at the Alabama Waldorf School, but seeing how much effort they’ve expended to make sure we have a fraction of an understanding of what we need to know to help our children makes me emotional. I love them with all my heart.
The first day of home schooling was yesterday (3/30). It was one of the most incredible days of my life. I got to take part in my childs education. It became immediately obvious that I was going to get a lot less done for the next 2 months of my life. But what I lose of my own time I gain so much more.
Things are scary right now. We have no idea what will happen. All we can do is reach out and be there for each other. If you are someone who prays, prayers for our family would be appreciated. I would be happy to return the favor. If you have found cool things to do during this stay-at-home time, PLEASE let us know. We are always looking for new things to do to keep ourselves joyful and content.
Until next time,
Ryan