A Recipe for Sanity

By S. L. Gore

If ever there was a time when we needed a daily commitment to count our blessings and a stalwart determination to make the best of things, it is now.

For our family, it is about finding the balance in this time of COVID. How can we be safe, knowing that the minute we walk out the door, we incur risk? How much risk is acceptable? How can we mitigate the risk? How can we still enjoy life?

My solution is a rather simple recipe for living that works any time and really has no secret ingredient other than a determination that life is too short to be anything but happy. Sometimes, and especially in time of COVID, that daily act of dedicating yourself to happiness is especially challenging.

Add to that determination, a generous helping of gratitude. I remind myself often of all those who are suffering – not only the ravages of the disease – or the loneliness of quarantine – but also the loss of a job, or trying to do your job confined to an apartment with small children or school-age children pretending to learn on the computer. I am so grateful not to face those challenges. What have I got to complain about?

Mix in exercise. I found a zoom yoga class which acts as an anchor for my day. It’s not as much fun as a class, I freely admit, but it sure is convenient to roll out my mat in my own living room, and I’ve rediscovered muscles in my thighs and strength in my arms.

Find every occasion to celebrate. Set the table as if for guests. Make a meal as if for guests. Decorate as if for a party. Take pictures with your phone and post on your social media. When friends respond to your meals, it feels almost like they are there. Sharing is everything.

September 2020. My Mom’s 95th birthday when careful gatherings still seemed safe. Each household in our family had their own table, all distanced. Food was served with separate platters at each table. It all happened outdoors. We asked that everyone wear a mask unless eating, but in reality, after the 2nd glass of wine, caution flew to the wind.

If you are lucky enough to have a yard or a driveway and the weather permits, make a gathering of neighbors. Set chairs 10 feet apart. Everyone must bring their own glasses and drink. If you serve anything to eat (which isn’t necessary at all), make up individual plates for each couple or household. Neighbors are the safest guests because they can go home to use their own bathrooms.

Christmas Eve 2020. Our neighbors came with their own bottle and glasses and we had a good laugh about how our life had devolved to four people constituting a party. But it will be an evening we’ll never forget and I am so grateful for their company.

Do a Zoom party. Gather your friends for an hour of conversation, each in their own space, each with their own choice of cheer. Dress up. Make it festive.
The hard and fast rule for our household is no gathering ever inside. Not with masks. Not with social distancing. After the second glass of wine, it all breaks down.

Get out in nature as much as you can. Stop what you’re doing and watch the sunset. Bring nature into your home with cut flowers, flowering plants and fresh veggies. Take pictures and share. We are so blessed to have the internet to keep relationships alive.