During the wee hours of the morning I found myself wide eyed, so I decided to pass the time with a little online retail therapy. It is easy to justify shopping these days, while taking advantage of the great deals out there, it is good knowing that you are also assisting in the support of the strained economy. One of my favorite brands had their clothing is typical: ‘tops, bottoms, dresses, clearance and face coverings.’ Face coverings! Masks now have their own department in retail clothing, fascinating. To me it was just another example of the dexterity and adaptive ability of our society.
We have all been adjusting to the new and challenging climate in which we find ourselves. I am proud of us. Another great example of our ability to quickly acclimate is illustrated by the way we have reconsidered our use of space within our ‘shelters,‘ that is, our houses and yards.
Initially we continued to do what we had always done. We showered at 7am, breakfast and the paper, dropped our dishes in the sink and headed to work (even if the work was from our home office) if there were school aged kids in the home, the family treated the days off like snow days, whimsically letting the days pass. Dinner at six came from the refrigerator, as the restaurant closures stole our shortcuts for meals.
As days turned into weeks something beautiful happened. Young siblings began to see each other as companions not competitors, and weekends opened hours for couples to start their long-procrastinated home projects. Each of us had a little time and space to rediscover our creative side. All of this happened within the walls of our shelter-in-place.
It brings me joy to see the corners of our homes becoming meaningful useful spaces. The dining room table once reserved for holidays now has a higher purpose as the family’s classroom. The deck is bursting with thriving tomato plants carefully potted just weeks ago, and the patio furniture has been dusted off and used as a quiet reading nook.
Boundaries have shifted, formal spaces have become informal. Dinner is served out in the fort in the yard, and late night snacks are fair game in the bedroom. It is no longer out of the question to spontaneously pull out the homemade noodle maker to create stir-fry for a weekday lunch. And at some point, cocktails or mocktails became fair game at starting at 4pm.
Whether you are a senior in community living, or a college student home for an endless spring break, you are adapting through experimentation and discovery. My family My mom is writing stories from her childhood. My oldest daughter is reading classic novels and trying her hand at gardening. My youngest and her husband are installing underground sprinklers in their backyard.
Home is the one place that you can take your mask off, guilt free. Out of this pandemic we have a great opportunity to step off the stage, set aside the facade and rediscover our home and the people with whom we share our space.
Marcia Edwards, MBA is a Principal Broker at Windermere Real Estate of Lane County. Marcia offers expertise to homebuyers and sellers in the Eugene area. To learn all the steps to selling smart, contact Marcia at me@marciaedwards.com or 541-221-1454. RealEstateSmart.org.