How to Live in Joy
Day 6: How the lockdown has given me a co-worker at home
This story is part of a 30 day series on: Living in Joy. I find it is so important to focus on love and joy right now. The grand majority of us in the world are still in lockdown and during this month of May I want to share some light with everyone by looking at the bright sides of experiences and things I encounter in my home on a daily basis. I have gained a new joy and appreciation for my home at this time. This is a challenge for myself for these 30 days as well as to any other writers who would like to participate.
Today it came to me how joyful it is to finally have a co-worker at home: my husband! Ever since my son was a toddler (he is now 11) I have run businesses out of our home. Usually my husband (a software engineer) goes into an office. He has only worked at home during snowstorms in the past and those are rare here in Oregon. I am somewhat introverted but I am very social and to be honest it is harder to stay on task while at home all day long by myself. I used to waste more time on social media because I really wanted to connect with people during the workday.
Now, with my husband working at home, it is so wonderful that I get to have a co-worker! It’s great to be able to take tea, coffee and lunch breaks together, sit outside in the sun after lunch for a few minutes and share about our days. Often we’ll listen to music or a podcast while working too. It’s much more fun to share my workspace with him. I find that I am much more on task and accomplish more now that he is also working from home.
I know that this situation is temporary, but I am actually finding so, so much joy in it. It’s lovely to have a co-worker at the dining table where we both work on laptops. We can cheer each other on with the projects we are doing. We can brainstorm ideas together. We can plan out the weekend’s at-home activities during breaks.
I think: Instead of “I have to adapt to this situation, it’s different.” My actual thought is: “I get to have a wonderful co-worker.” We can share our workspace together, enjoy each other’s company. We can share our dreams. We can share our frustrations. We can share our joys. We can share our sorrows. We can be there for each other. We can help each other.
How can we change our thoughts about staying at home from “I have to” to “I get to.” I feel very fortunate because I get to live with my husband and son. It would be much more difficult if I was alone. I really feel for those all on their own right now. I get to connect even more with my family right now, learn more about them and grow personally with them.
My other co-worker is my son. He and I share a laptop. It’s great because after breakfast he can get his school work done and have his morning online meeting with his teacher and classmates. Then, when he is done with his work, I can use the laptop to do my writing and my work for my business. It works perfectly. Many times when he is doing school work I will journal or do some planning. It’s fun to all sit at the table together in the mornings. Sometimes he will bring down a comic that he has drawn late at night and share it with us in the morning too.
Instead of thinking: “Oh no! I have to do home-schooling! This is so difficult and new.” I think: “How wonderful that I get to spend more time with my son and see him learn and grow day by day.” It’s fun to see what he takes an interest in and what lights him up. He was so excited when he had a creative writing assignment today. Another writer in the family!
I believe this is a unique opportunity for us to examine how life has brought us these circumstances FOR US and not TO US. We can choose how we view the situation and look at in a negative way, or look at it as a bright new opportunity to grow, change, adapt and shine, or we can choose to look at the negative side and choose to stay in struggle.
Although we all are looking forward to being able to do a few things that we miss right now, we feel very fortunate that we can all work together and we can enjoy our days. I wish everyone abundance, love and light today. There are a great many less fortunate than we, and we can help them right now. We can help them by donating money, food and offering compassion and love.
With lots of love and light,
Trista
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Here are three of my other articles for this challenge:
