"Alive in the age of worry
Rage in the age of worry
Sing out in the age of worry
And sing Worry, why should I care?" - John Mayer

Yes, I feel it, too. The creeping dread. The uncertainty. Watching your plans disappear into thin air. Consoling your children as their competitions, games, variety shows, musicals, graduations, etc. all get canceled one-by-one. We've never done this before. And we're not very good at not being in control. We're great at creating these grand schemes, terrible at shrugging our shoulders when they disappear. 

I'm here to tell you that I spoke with my grandmother the other day and she told me it's all going to be alright so I wanted to share that with you. Carry on! But seriously, I want to encourage you to see this time as a gift. People will be there to help you if you run out of food. Neighbors will lend you toilet paper or give you their extra cough syrup. We will see the best in people. If you can't work right now, it's a good time to take inventory of all of the things you have: children, cars, pets, dreams, skills, food, junk. All of it. If you need money, think outside the box. If you get desperate, reach out for help.

I want to tell you what happened when I was taking a "jog" the other day.

My son was way out ahead of me so I walked the last leg alone. It hit me all at once: the despair; the fear; the anxiety. And, sadly, the self-pity. "What about all the things I wanted? What about the money that I was going to make this year? What about the new-to-me car I was going to buy?" (Thankfully I did a year's worth of Mastermind work with Wendy Perrotti (Wendy Perrotti's website) so pity parties are very short-lived these days). I had a moment of clarity and I took stock of my life. I was feeling sorry for myself about the stuff I can't afford. Imagine that? I was worried about a car. And I own one already! Granted it's old and I smashed it up a bit in the fall and there is literally a ziptie holding it together, but it's a beast and it's taking care of us.

For now, I can still take photos and sing, whether I can do that actively for people or not. I still have prints for sale. My family is healthy, thank goodness and that's what matters. We have a roof over our heads and food in our pantry. And one of the dreams I had given up on, writing children's stories, is something I can do during this time to help others, whether it makes money or not. Think about what matters in these crazy times. Take care of yourself. If you find you have with some extra time, declutter, write in a journal, FaceTime an old friend, create a new game. The world needs our ideas right now, not our self-pity. And remember, Nonni said it's all going to be ok. <3

See that balloon? I've already let it go. Stay safe and healthy!

-Dawn