Pass the Pickled Carrots

To say that over the past two weeks the world has changed would be an understatement.

The world has come to a screeching halt.

Then, here in Virginia, the hammer was dropped - an Executive Stay-at-Home Order signed by the Governor.

This means, unless we are going to the doctor or to get groceries, we remain at home. Outdoor recreation can be done in family units but large groups will (maybe) receive a fine and/or jail time.

Nearly every gathering of humans, around the world, has been put on hold. The Olympics (now rescheduled to 2021), baseball seasons, conferences, all have been postponed. The NHL has begun airing virtual games for fun on their networks. Faith communities of every stripe have been forced to no longer gather for in-person worship services and small group gatherings.

The way we move through our communities has changed. In grocery stores and retail stores blue x’s mark the floor to give a visual reminder that we are to be no closer than 6-feet from one another. We only leave our homes for necessary trips - to get food, visit the doctor, etc.

At-home delivery has never seemed more lucrative until you realize the deal you found on Amazon was prepared, shipped, and delivered by someone who more than likely does not have PPE at their place of employment.

There is much to get someone down and in the dumps. There is much that can cause us to retreat into our homes, regardless of the Governor’s order and hide from the world barely moving outside the threshold of our front door.

This new normal seems anything but normal.

Then, yesterday afternoon, Camden and I were in the kitchen while Nora was asleep. We were cleaning up the mess we had made when we cooked homemade macaroni and cheese. We were cleaning up because we were preparing to make homemade pickled carrots.

After we finished making our homemade pickled carrots. Nora woke up. We gently nudged Allison to end her workday early (a perk when you own a business) and went for a family-walk/bike ride. Camden rode his bike down the neighborhood trail for the first time. We ran into a friend from church and then came home and cooked dinner together as a family.

As a family.

We can make jokes about how much time we are spending with our immediate family members. We can lament about not being able to spend time with our grandparents who are about to move across the country.

But yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend the day with my kids. No programming I had to drive them to. No agenda for the day, other than chalk art in the church parking lot, riding bikes, and cooking delicious homemade food ALL DAY.

Like many people, I do want things to get back to normal sooner rather than later. I want the curve the be flattened so we can protect the vulnerable. I want to be able to go to the barbershop with Camden and play pinball while we wait for a chair to open. I miss baseball and hockey.

These past few weeks have not been easy, and we’re only a few weeks in. Anxiety, stress, and tensions are making it tough to be at cooped up. And I know I am blessed. I am in a safe place with people who love and care for me.

Which is why I don’t want to go back to the way things were. I don’t want to go back to a time when work too precedent over bike rides and afternoon walks in the neighborhood. I don’t want to go back to a time when we were going through the motions of the day, trying to check every box on the list just so we could do the same the following day.

I don’t want to go back to a time when neighbors weren’t caring for one another. I don’t want to go back to a time when the local food bank was pleading with the community for food. I don’t want to go back to a time when we opted for the convenience and value of national chains over local businesses.

I want things to get back to normal. I want to hear the crack of the bat and I want to pay too much for a bad beer at Nationals Park.

So yes, let’s flatten the curve as quickly as we can.

Let’s heed the word of experts and ignore political grandstanding.

Let’s rally as a community, caring for one another and sharing our toilet paper.

But, when things get back to normal, let’s not forget the work we have done. Don’t forget that during this time we cared for one another, we cooked together, and we set aside the busyness of life to ride bikes, go on walks, and make homemade pickled carrots.