What will our world will look like on the other side of this social experiment we have all been living through for the last six weeks? Will we be able to sustain any of the positive changes we have made?
Will families spend Friday nights cuddled on popcorn-strewn couches laughing and teasing or will we once again fill the dark theaters where talking is prohibited?
Will we rush to answer the phone when friends and relatives call or will we let it go to voice mail?
Will we smile at neighbors from our porch as they walk around the block or will we hide behind our Ring doorbells and security doors?
Will we spend weekends at the park grateful for the grassy areas in which to run or will we spend Saturday at the office catching up on our work?
Will we think twice about spontaneous trips to the mall or will we go back to filling our tanks and skies with pollutants?
Will we sing and dance around the kitchen while preparing the family meal or will we pay for pizza, a babysitter, and dinner out?
I fear most of our old habits will reappear. We will go back to filling the spaces in our lives with things, people, and activities we don't love, need or even like. But I hope that a few positive changes and habits stick around. Maybe if we are willing to leave some spaces in our lives open and wait for things, people, and activities we love and truly bring us joy to fill them, we will be able to retain some of the lessons we have learned!
(The image at the top of the post can be found here.)
Leave a Reply