COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way we see our world. Things we used to take for granted now look very different. There’s something about having things taken away that reminds you how much you loved them, need them, and want them back.
With the things we’re missing in mind, Cristina and I put together this list of 75 things we’ll never take for granted again…
Backyard BBQs
Kissing my wife
Holding my husband after a long day
Reagan running across a lacrosse field
Riley performing on stage
Sunday morning worship at church
Opening OrangeBall Creative’s office door on a Monday morning
Birthday parties in my brother’s backyard
Puzzles and baking with my mom
Middle school choir concerts
Ending summer with the Minnesota State Fair
Hauling the kids to activities
Meetings with customers
Walking through Times Square
Flying anywhere
Dropping the twins off at school
Friday night fish fries
Shopping for groceries (the way we used to do it)
Non-profit fundraisers
Exploring the Institute of Arts
Sports – all of them
Sitting in traffic
Lunches outside with my team
Coffee with clients
Happy hours with clients
A trip to the dentist office
Nurse and doctors (the heroes)
Grocery store cashiers, baggers, and stockers (more heroes)
Semi-truck and delivery drivers (heroes too…)
First responders (we always knew they were heroes)
Hugging Reagan and Riley
Neighborhood bonfires
Summer festivals
Time with my brothers
Wednesday night Bible study with the guys
Thursday night Bible study with the girls
Friday morning breakfast at the VFW with Rick, John, Steve, and Jeff
Summer camp
Waiting in line at Starbucks, Caribou, Dunn Brothers, The Lynhall, Spyhouse
The driving range with the kids
Ice cream shop adventures
A fresh haircut
Facials, brows, and nails
Cigars with with Norm
Unmapped Brewery with Brian
Walking across downtown Minneapolis
Summer baseball at Target Field
Family brunches
Snowboarding with Reagan
The movies with Riley
Date nights out
Giving my nephew a horsey ride
Laughing with my sisters
Hugging my family
Having big family birthday parties
Sharing a meal with the people I love
Playing cards with my cousins
Having people smile in the grocery store
Having hands without gloves
Walking through my favorite bookstores
Hands that aren’t cracked and dry from so much handwashing
Chatting with the neighbors outside without social distancing
Planning our next getaway
Enjoying an extended family vacation
Lunch from the bakery down the street
Walking through the Arboretum
Sweating at the gym
Dropping stuff off at school for the kids
Leading bootcamps for clients
News that’s not about COVID-19
The Summer Olympics
Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth
March Madness
Broadway shows and Minneapolis theatre
Live music with friends
The common bond between everything on this list? They’re all things we do together, with other people. Life was meant to be experienced and celebrated with others. We were meant to go through sadness and challenges with others. We were never meant to be isolated or socially distanced… We were created to enjoy relationships, friendships, and share experiences with one another. That’s what makes COVID so hard.
The funniest thing about this list? A few of these aren’t actually things we enjoy. Sitting in traffic sucks – until you can’t anymore. And then, you start thinking about those traffic jams in terms of the places you were headed to and the people you were going to see, and everything takes on a new perspective. Looking ahead, we’ll see that traffic in a very different light.
The Takeaway
When the trauma of COVID-19 begins to subside, and life begins returning to our new normal, remember not to let these things come and go without being grateful, thankful, and appreciative of their place in your life. Make your own list of some of the things you miss right now, and once you start to get them back, celebrate them. Even the traffic…
In the midst of COVID and all the dark noise in the news, we’re all in need of some additional positivity, optimism, and ways to reconnect with what’s really important. If you’re looking for more of that, subscribe here today for weekly messages from Depth Not Width.