Tom Bodett once said, "In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." To say life is testing us right now, would be an understatement. However, I think the lesson and takeaway from all of this adversity, will remain with us forever.

I tend to write when I'm going through a "lost" period, or when things are scattered. Right now, life is pretty far from scattered. Fast paced life is gone, we can't really go anywhere, and everything is essentially closed-and yet, i still feel an urge to write. It's probably all the down time that this quarantine has given us that has inspired this desire to write.

I've always been someone with a lot of fear. Fear of things happening that I often have no control over. So, for an anxious or fearful person, this pandemic is essentially a nightmare. The crippling reality that this silent demon is around and could attack at any time-literally eradicating any last ounce of control. Yet, despite everything going on, I feel oddly calm. I feel calm knowing that God is in control, and instead of spend this time period to worry, sulk and waste the day, I am trying my best to make it worthwhile. Although many of my day to day activities have been taken from me, quarantine has given me a few of my favorite things back. There is nothing that I enjoy more than being home with my family, cooking for everyone, baking and taking walks/ going for runs. At the end of the day, I am a person who is centered on family, food and faith. I am grateful for the health and safety of my loved ones, but It is still an uneasy feeling knowing what is happening around us.

I look forward to the day when we can freely travel, visit our loved ones, and not have daily reminders of the deadly realities around us. However, when that day comes, I hope we never forget the simplicity to this time period. The quality family time, the genuine conversations, and the calm days. I hope we never forget how little we needed during this time, and how the power of family, friendship and faith(and good food lol) is all we need to get by.

-Shell