A global pandemic leaves a girl with a little time on her hands, you know? Time to do things she’s never had time for before. Webinars, for example. You’ve probably signed up for one or two of those over the past few months… maybe more.
I took one back in May that was all about stress relief. Who doesn’t have a little stress they could relieve now, right?
The woman hosting it had some great tips. One of them really stuck with me. She suggested that she wasn’t “sheltering in place” the way so many other people were then. Instead, she told us she was “sheltering in peace”. “Wow,” I thought. “What a great way to re-frame all of this.”
In the blink of an eye, pandemic life became more of a pleasure. Instead of feeling frustrated that it was Saturday night and watching movies was the only thing to do, I flipped the switch to peace. Suddenly, it was Saturday night and watching movies was the only thing to do!!! A cup of tea, a bowl of vegan ice cream and Netflix and Prime were all that I needed.
Just like in the movies, though, the plot was about to thicken. A friend of mine told me her daughter was watching the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time – one famous flick a night. That lit a fire under me. Excitedly, I began to watch even more movies… big ones, small ones, quiet ones, moving ones… movies I’d heard of my whole life but had never made the time to see.
And I began to love and appreciate them more than I ever had before. During this time of unprecedented solitude, they’ve been connecting me to the human experience… to laughter and tears and the messiness and joy of living.
How’s that for a movie script… One that all of us can star in if we choose to give it a try. Sheltering in peace and connected to people.
Perfect.
