None of us were prepared for what the end of February 2020 had in store for us. If there was no other time that we needed to stick together, the time is now! A good habit to start if you are not already doing so is to start writing in a journal. Not just any journal, a gratitude journal. I like to write in my gratitude journal at night so that I can go to bed relaxed and feeling good about all the things I have to be grateful for. For example, both myself and my husband
work in professions where our employers are not closed due to the pandemic. He is in healthcare and I am in banking. We have 3 children at home that are all school age and have work to do daily. The ages range from Elementary to High School. Both grandparent sets are above the age of 60 so sending them to the grandparents while we work is not an option either.
However, I had to get outpatient surgery at the brink of the school closures and it has proven to be a blessing in disguise that I was able to recover and spend the first two weeks out of school at home with our children. This also allowed my husband to pick up extra shifts, he's in healthcare, to supplement my income. Although these circumstances are not ideal, we make them work.
When we are not doing school work, we find ways to stay entertained by spending quality time with each other. We have played the card matching game, goldfish, video games, watched movies, baked together, cooked together, played Barbies, and more. My children have even made a few tiktok videos to keep themselves entertained.
Overall, if we remember that this too shall pass, we will all be ok. If you are out of work right now, like me, it's time to start nurturing the things that you are good at. Remember those books you always wanted to read but didn't have time to read? Read them! Remember those projects you have around the house that you just couldn't seem to find the time to complete? Start and finish them? Remember that you said you wish you had more time to spend with your children? Your spouse? Yourself? Now is the time!
If you're not making any income, now is the time to figure out how you can monetize the skills you already have. Everyone is on social media now and you have something that someone on social media can benefit from. Don't think so? Has anyone ever complimented you on your organizational skills? Or your cooking skills? Maybe you were praised for creativity with arts and crafts. No matter what it was, you can showcase your skills now on social media. You can start by posting videos to your stories on IG and Facebook. Once you are comfortable with those videos you can move on to going LIVE on both platforms. When you go LIVE that will open up a platform to create an audience of people who are looking to see exactly what you have to offer. After that, you can begin to monetize it. If you're interested in learning exactly how to do that, send an email to info@authorteemarie.com.
I am grateful for all the people that continue to put themselves at risk regularly because of the commitment they made to help others and serve their community. Thank you so much for ALL you do!!