Counting blessings.... #CoronavirusLife

   It has not been news to anyone who knows me that this quarantine has been hard on my emotional health. As someone who has suffered from clinical depression since my early teens, I am familiar with mental health services : both drug and talk therapy.

  Today I was reminded by someone whom I both love and trust, that perhaps this uncertain time in human history is a time to look extra hard for what exists in our lives.  There is no doubt that this pandemic has cancelled a lot from many people's lives-- but she I was reminded that there is much for which to give God thanks.

This plague has not taken away everything.  After all, in the life of a Christian, Easter has arrived.  In Nature, plants are budding and baby animals are coming forth.

  I need to remind myself that God is with us in all this uncertainty-- that we are like the Israelites lost in this " desert" for a spell. Like them, I am scared and grumbling.  So much has changed in such a short amount of time, and no one knows when this long journey will end. Sometimes I let doubt creep in and wonder if the Promised Land will ever appear.

  It is April on the Gulf Coast, and the weather has leveled out to a pleasant { albeit short} Spring. The air is warm-- not hot and daylight lasts until after supper.  Our beaches are closed for the time being, but I can still get outside in my beautiful and safe Pensacola neighborhood. There are some city parks that are not completely shut down that Brian and I can enjoy. { just make sure to use the bathroom at home--- restrooms are closed for everyone's safety} I can check in with loved ones on the phone or via Zoom.  Harry, our two-year-old hound dog, needs and wants my attention. My spouse and I are one of those couples who enjoy all-day togetherness.

 There is much for which to give thanks. In my darker moments, I need to find a sure-fire way to keep gratitude at the center of Quarantine Life.

Stay tuned.....

~Sarah