Getting Creative During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Just typing the word “pandemic” seems very strange. For most of us it is one of those words we knew was in the dictionary, but who ever thought it would be part of our everyday language? It was a “movie” word, something that happened in motion pictures. But they were fiction. I googled “pandemic movies” and found these titles: Panic in the Streets (1950), Epidemic (1987), Pandemic (2016), Flu (2013), The Andromeda Strain (1971), and Quarantine (2008). There were more but you get the idea. The common thread in all of these movies was fear, followed by panic. Often that was more disturbing than the virus that people were fighting.
Today we find ourselves as characters in a nonfiction story. The question is, what script will we write? We can stay fearful or we can fight back. We can focus on one day at a time. For our marriages, it can be a time of growth. We can still have fun as couples. Nancy and I are getting pretty good at getting to-go food at some of our favorite places and having a picnic in the car. My car is probably dirtier than it has ever been but all that can be cleaned up later. We are connecting with other couple friends on Zoom. It’s not exactly as good as being together in person but it is not bad at all. It’s a way to connect and encourage each other.
If Nancy is having a down day, I can cheer her up. It’s amazing how she laughs today at some of my stupid antics that were not always as well received in the past. Maybe I am just getting funnier! On my down days she is right there beside me to walk with me through it. I believe our marriage is growing. We are showing each other more grace. We are finding things to do at home that we both enjoy. We are getting creative. The bottom line is that today we have a choice. We can be like those actors in the pandemic movies and live in fear or we can choose to embrace this different life and live it to the fullest each day.
Share with us some of the creative things you are doing as a couple to embrace life together today!