counting blessings

Good things about the pandemic and some things you can do to make the most of it:

1. Most of the world gets an extended staycation!
2. Time with family really is a blessing but requires some creativity with kids:
• play board games, card games, hide and seek, video games, etc.
• dance
• sing
• tell jokes or watch comedy... just LAUGH. Laugh as much as you can.
3. Time to learn to juggle--I mean literally juggle. Juggling balls are cheap and you can find any number of how-to videos online.
4. Write that book you always wanted to write.
5. Along the lines of the above, READ. Catch up on your to-be-read (TBR) pile. Ebooks are great--instant downloads and no chance of contagion, unless you download from torrent or pirate sites. Stick to legitimate, respected retailers.
6. Connect remotely with family and friends you always intended to contact or didn't contact enough.
7. Get to know your neighbors (from a distance). How many of us really visit with those in our closest vicinity?
8. Pray or at least read the Bible. If you have any inkling that God exists, this will uplift you. If you are not a believer, then you'll get some history lessons; the Bible is based on actual history, although whether you believe in the divinity of Jesus or not is up to you. If nothing else, the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have some great lessons, which is why the apostles called Jesus "teacher".
9. Learn to slow down and enjoy every moment of life instead of rushing through. Take this time to "smell the roses".
10. Eat right--cut out the sugar and inflammatory foods. This will help your immune system and overall health, and it may also help you keep off the weight.

We will get through this. Find something that helps you stay positive and remember that, no matter what you think, you are not alone in any suffering but only you can decide whether you're going to let it get the best of you or whether you are going to rise up and overcome it. I've been there; I know. I've prevailed over those demons many times, which is why I'm still here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT!