If you’re a fan of social media, you might be feeling a little depressed these days.  We’re seeing pictures of perfect meals, desserts, fun things to entertain your children while your sequestered, DIY videos on how to make a chair out of twigs and a million ideas that look too easy to believe.  The truth is, we aren’t living in that world.

Many of us turn to food for solace.  The extra pounds, along with living in sweats all day just add to our feelings of desperation.  Some binge on social media and try some of the above suggested things to do, but fail miserably.  Kids are hanging on you, literally.  You aren’t used to this kind of life.  Your routine has been disrupted.  Your temper grows short.  You’re spread too thin.  You should be doing all these things that are required of you, but you can’t keep up with just every day living.  You don’t know if you should wear a mask and gloves and suddenly you’re required to.  Your world has been turned upside down and as much as you try to adjust, you can’t.

We need to realize that it’s OK.

Some tackle a project that’s been on the back burner for a long time.  Even that can become burdensome. I have yet to clean my closets, kitchen cupboards or organize my home like they do on Pinterest.  I get angry because I can’t go outside and work in my garden, because of my allergies.  I get frustrated when I try to write an encouraging blog and I need encouragement myself.  I want to scream because this whole thing just seems unfair.  I worry about the economy – if there will be meat on the table in three weeks – if my hair will grow down to my toes by the time this is done – if I will care.

When I get to that point, I simply have to look at the good that’s coming from this. We’re slowing down.  Our air is free of pollutants.  Gas prices have dropped. We have a decent place to hunker down.  We have each other.  We’re not sick.  We appreciate our families more.  We ‘re helping and supporting each other.  We’re alive.

We need to realize that it’s OK.

Life isn’t perfect. It’s real.  It comes with pain, depression, fears, sadness and anxiety.  We should remember that life before all this began wasn’t perfect either.  We had over committed both physically and mentally.  Our priorities got messed up.  We didn’t appreciate the simple things.  We spent too much.  We got angry.  We took it out on each other and our children.  We made serious mistakes.  We screwed up.

We need to realize that it’s OK.

For now our reality is in a state of limbo and I think that’s the hardest part about this entire disaster.  Most of us like structure.  Our kids like structure too.  We’ve been living like it’s an extended vacation or in fear of never having another one.  One thing we can be sure of is that it will end.  God is in control.  He isn’t using this to run us into the ground or to hurt us in any way.  He has a plan to resolve it and He will.

We need to realize that it’s going to be OK>

Now I’m going to see if I have enough twigs to make a chair.  NOT!