I moved into my house over a year ago and I've had it on my list to paint my bedroom ever since.
I've never enjoyed painting, mostly because doing the trim work made me nervous and impatient. I hated the thought of spending so much time painstakingly trying not to get paint on door frames and ceilings.
But I needed a project to keep my mind and my body occupied this weekend.
I'm not very good at sitting still and this quarantine has me a little stir crazy.
So yesterday, I gathered up my paint supplies, cranked up the tunes, and went to work.
And guess what? I discovered I actually sort of like painting.
Sort of - not completely. But it's progress.
It was a little messy, with lots of paint under my fingernails and a few drips on the wood floor.
But I actually found the trim work to be calming.
I didn't even use painter's tape. Instead, I had a good edging brush and slowly and deliberately painted that line along the ceiling, and the door and window frames.
It's not perfect, but you can't tell unless you get up close. Which is true of most things in life.
The process took the better part of the day, between waiting for the paint to dry, then doing touch ups, and then re-arranging furniture.
When it was done, I have to say I was pretty proud of my paint job.
It was a great distraction from the reality of what's going on in our world. And it's something completely in my control.
So much of what's going on in our world is uncertain. We're scared of what the future is going to look like and how this will all play out.
What we need to realize is that the most important thing we can do right now is stay home and just be still.
But that doesn't mean we have to sit around and do nothing.
It means we need to still our minds and refocus our energy.
These past two weeks, I think I've actually talked to my family and friends (albeit virtually) more than I have in the past two months. Some of our video chats have been hilarious.
People are connecting in new ways.
Virtual family gatherings may just become part of our everyday life when this is over.
At work, we're coming together with a common sense of purpose. We are laser-focused on key priorities to keep the business going.
It's scary and exciting at the same time.
We're going to come out of this smarter, I can see that. I know it will take work to keep it that way after this is over, but I'll do my part to remember how this felt.
Yes, it's harder with kids at home now. I live with two teenagers and the attitude some days is pretty intense.
But I know this is scary for them too so I try to give them grace.
I'm grateful that they are older and don't need quite as much of my attention as they did when they were little.
For those of you home with little kids, I salute you. Do what you need to do to help them understand all of this and to stay sane.
The hardest part for me right now is the longing to get out and be social. To see the faces of my friends and family.
I'm a hugger and I can't even begin to tell you how hard it is to not have hugged my family and friends these past few weeks. And I know that's going to get even harder.
But I'm going to keep reaching out with the tools that I have available. Texting, phone calls and now video chats. Those will keep me sane and feeling some semblance of connection.
Inside, I'm going to look for ways to learn and grow. Do things that brighten my home, stimulate my brain, and keep me active and productive.
At the end of the day, we have a choice.
Stare at the walls and dwell on the negative.
Or...
Put a fresh coat of paint on it.
Which will you choose?
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