What parts of normal do we want to go back to?
Much has changed and happened over the last couple of months. The coronavirus has caused a lot of sadness, anxieties and uncertainty. There seems to be mutual haste and longing to return back to normal. To a time where loved ones weren’t being lost on such a large scale every day and when key workers weren’t risking their lives just by going to work. But, in our rush to get back to normal, we should ask ourselves ‘what parts of normal are worth rushing back to?’
Photo by
BeTwins Atelier
What has changed?
Well, everything really.
When speaking amongst friends the things we all miss the most is each other and being around the people we love. The fast pace, packed schedules and social events we’ve had to say yes to because we’ve already said no the past 3 times don’t seem to make it on the ‘miss list’.
While Zoom quizzes and evenings spent on Houseparty manage to give a small dose of social interaction, the interruption of Wi-Fi cutting out quickly reminds us it’s just not the same.
Whilst most offices and schools have now shut, there are still some amazing people going out to work every day. A lot of these now praised jobs were not even thought twice about when going about our day-to-day. But a much larger appreciation for these people has emerged, which can be seen from the claps for the NHS, to bus-stops being decorated with thank you signs, and rainbows appearing in windows around cities and towns.
“Our normal was not sustainable.”
Has it changed for the worse?
COVID-19 has caused devastation across countries, towns and families, and many of us will have been affected or known others who have been impacted by it directly.
It is in this time that we can reflect, to think about what we really value and what we actually want to spend our time on. The impact it has had on our lives is a chance to slow down. To take our time on things we otherwise wouldn’t be able to even fit in our schedule.
“In our rush to get back to normal, we should ask ourselves what parts of normal are worth rushing back to.”
With this time, perhaps you’ve swapped meal deals for dinners made from scratch, maybe you’ve called your parents every day, managed to workout more, or simply found more time for yourself. The smaller things have gained more value and the things that once seemed so important are redundant.
The impact of rest can also be seen in the world around us. Pictures of canals in Venice that are clear and full of wildlife have circulated social media. The Himalayas are visible from the Indian state of Punjab for the first time in almost 30 years. The sky appears less full of planes and more full of birds and wildlife.
Previously, it was nothing out of the ordinary to work overtime, to only see our loved ones for a couple of hours in the evening and even become ill due to burnout. Our normal was not sustainable and we are reminded of this in Jeremiah 2:25 says ‘Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry.’
Although this period of time provides us with many challenges, it is also a unique opportunity to sit back and think about what is truly worth returning to. When asking Google if things can return to normal, the affirmative answer seems to be no- but maybe this is not all bad. Maybe, this is the chance to make a new normal where we have the chance to slow down and spend more time with loved ones whilst we can.
WORDS BY
Ellie Dalton
