Remember when we used to wish for more time with those we love; when we were all so scheduled that we longed for an evening in? I don’t know about you, but after almost a year of quarantine, I think those we are sharing a pod with may require a little extra kindness.
Our pod has evolved since last March. First it included my dad with Gilles, Bridget and I, then he moved into a retirement residence. Then we had Lisa for the month of December, and Adam joined us part way through that month. Since Lisa left, it has been Gilles, Bridget, Adam and I enjoying A LOT of quality time together.
We have definitely had more than 4 people living here over the years, but never have we had EVERY evening and weekend together; even when we have meetings, we are just in another room! Adam and Gilles both go to work during the week, and Gilles does keep himself busy on weekends, but we are spending most lunches, evenings and weekends together.
(I need to pause here and say that I think there is a special place in heaven for those who are quarantining with little ones and limited programming and homeschooling off and on…God bless you all!)
So, what have I learned?
Streaming Has Never Been More Important
We have watched television and movies, some great and some really, really bad. We have laughed and cried – well, mostly me doing the crying, but the rest of them do occasionally show emotion.
I can’t think of a time when escape has been more important. There is a lot to process each and every day, so it is really nice to sit in the basement and join another world where the problems either seem insignificant or way bigger than mine; I’m okay with escapism either way! I am also really enjoying bedtime reading for the same reason.
You Can Learn A Lot About a Person by the Way They Play Euchre
Another thing we have done a lot of is play euchre. I am not a competitive person, and, although I enjoy a card game once in a while, I am perfectly happy to sit out when I can. With only 4 people in our pod, that is not an option!
Our ground rules now include not questioning why a certain card was played, overlooking the occasional renege between friends, regular partner changes, and we get to watch an episode of Superstore on Netflix when we’re finished!
Bauer is Living His Best Life!
Bauer has never had it so good! He is cuddled so regularly that you can sometimes see him rolling his eyes and thinking, “alright, go ahead if you really need this”! He is going for runs and walks, and is told how cute he is many times each day.
He is thriving during this pandemic, although I do wonder if there are days he would just like to be home alone!
Resilience is Down
So far this winter we have had power outages, a 4-day water outage, and kitchen renovations that meant time with no water in the kitchen. Pre-pandemic, I was much better at going with the flow, but I am finding that I am not coping with things as well as usual.
I had an aha moment during one of these issues, when I realized that I was living that whole “toxic stress” thing I had read about. The day-to-day coping with all the pandemic change and uncertainty means that all of us have less resilience for seemingly minor blips; things that would not have caused an issue a year ago.
And those little “podmate” habits that would go unnoticed are magnified after all this time together.
I find it helpful to remind myself to take a deep breath before responding, and to appreciate the fact that the other 3 people in the room are doing the same thing!
There have definitely been some heated discussions over the past couple of months, but that’s not really unusual at the Truchon house. If COVID has taught me anything, it’s the importance of kindness, especially with ourselves and the others in our pods!
