The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for people all over the world and have been a disruption to everything that we consider normal. While this is a scary and uncertain time, particularly for those of us that have older parents, and even more so for those of us in the attractions industry, I’m finding that the shift in the status quo has brought a lot to be thankful for. Here’s just a few of the unexpected positives this crazy situation has brought me:

I’m thinking of my parents more and checking on them more frequently. My mother misses her normal routine, so I call to see how she’s holding up (and talk her out of running errands).

I’m catching up on projects around the house and digging into my spring cleaning. With a usually very busy training schedule all over the country, I don’t spend much downtime at home. Being grounded has been great for my decluttering and organizing efforts!

I’m getting more sleep! When I’m not watching the news and getting stressed about the world, I have been able to get more good REM sleep in. With the DEK team working remotely, I have the flexibility to start work later in the day or take a nap if I need to. I can also give my brain a break by switching gears as needed.

I’m spending more time with my fiancé, Jack (a mixed blessing, haha)! Since he’s working from home, we’re able to connect throughout the day, bounce ideas off of each other, and just check in with another friendly face.

I’m more careful about my own health and well-being. Along with the rest of the world, I’m even more vigilant than I ordinarily am (which is pretty high on the OCD scale of clean) about simple health habits like washing my hands, taking vitamins, and drinking enough water.

I’m reconnecting with a lot of people and having meaningful conversations. In one day, I received phone calls from three people I had been out of touch with. Each of these calls were more than forty-five minutes long, which absolutely wouldn’t have been possible if we were all keeping our normal, break-neck routines.

I’m cooking more at home which has always been a source of joy for me. I love good, simple, clean food, and this week, I made a huge pot of my mother’s chicken soup recipe and made enough to share. I made our own ‘drive through’ for friends on their way home from work to share the love while keeping the social distancing.

Like everyone else, I am trying to wrap my head around how long we will all be so far from normal. But also like everyone else, I will keep looking for the good.

Please feel free to share your silver linings!

-Deborah Kunz, DEK Leadership