Jennifer Lambert

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You are here: Home / Health / Lessons from Quarantine

Lessons from Quarantine

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March 22, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 12 Comments

I didn’t even realize my normal introverted stay-at-home-homeschooling lifestyle was called “quarantine” until people started having real meltdowns on social media about being forced to stay home, work from home, not eat out, not socializing with friends at bars, restaurants, parties, etc.

People seem to really not like their kids, cooking at home, staying home, or walking in nature.

For years, everyone has underestimated my desire to stay home. I’m an introvert and I’m tired of apologizing for my simple lifestyle.

Schools are canceled. College classes are canceled. Churches are closed. Restaurants and stores are closed. Sports are canceled. Libraries and other fun places we would occasionally go to are closed. The kids’ gymnastics and ice skating lessons are canceled.

Very little of this really affects me but I’m trying so hard to empathize with people who are upset about it all. I am amazed at how well my kids handle disappointment and I’m sometimes struggling.

While I understand these times are hard for extroverts like my teen daughter, we can adjust and help each other through this.

What can we learn from quarantine?

Let us live in hope of a better day.

Lessons from Quarantine

Love Your Neighbor.

I’m very concerned by people who are living in denial that this virus is dangerous and deadly. I’m concerned about people who are still traveling and vacationing.

I’m worried about the people who can’t get their needs met – the people laid off, unable to work, immunocompromised, starving children, abusive families, those with mental illness.

The economy is surely hurting and will take a while to recover. Perhaps this is the time our leaders can rethink how wealth is distributed and what programs should be in place as societal safety nets.

I love seeing people offering to help others – by picking up groceries or however people need help. All the online threads with GoFundMe and payment apps to help pay bills. As long as it’s not caremongering – posturing and flashy “look at me and all the good I’m doing!” Performance-based-Christianity is a virus itself.

But it’s sad we weren’t more prepared as a nation and world. May we come out on the other side of this with new perspective in how to serve others.

Many church leaders are posting mini services and prayer chains on social media. They offer hope and connection to those who are anxious and scared.

We’re all learning how to love and it’s so, so sad to still see hate, exclusion, blame, and negativity out there.

Boundaries.

While I’m used to being at home with my kids all day, every day…the mental load of realizing that we shouldn’t go out and all our extracurricular courses are cancelled and no one can play or socialize with friends is still very hard.

I’m not really much of a rule maker, but I have to institute some boundaries to make sure we don’t regress into chaos since weekends aren’t anything anymore. I’ve never really stressed about screentime, but I will not have disrespectful attitudes.

My almost twenty year old daughter is struggling with having her freedom sucked away. I do get it. It’s difficult for a fledgling adult to have her wings clipped and it’s not her fault. Her anxiety is running rampant. Her college classes were canceled for the whole semester and everything is online and she doesn’t do well with that education model. She has a part-time job at a local bank and she’s at least able to work a few days a week at their drive-thru (the inside bank is closed) when many cannot work. It hurts me that she would prefer greasy fast food instead of our home cooked meals. I will not have her treating her young siblings like her peers, showing them inappropriate Tik Tok videos, Instagram, or Snapchat, and wanting to watch unsuitable films and shows with them.

There have been lectures, slamming doors, angry texts, and rolling eyes. It’s really hard to be a gentle parent sometimes. I’m not sure what to do or say since it all seems wrong.

My husband works from home most evenings and weekends while still going to work Monday-Friday 7-5. He’s a military medical lab manager and it’s stressful everywhere in the medical communities right now. I’m feeling sometimes like I did when he was deployed. He’s here, but he’s not really here.

Sometimes, I really just want to be alone for an hour – in my home office, on the deck, in the bathroom. In silence.

Simplicity.

I like the simple life.

We cook all our meals at home. Restaurant closures don’t affect us at all since we rarely dine out and rarely get takeout and never delivery. I’ve never used a meal delivery service and I don’t plan to start. I’m concerned for food service industry and their jobs and well-being more than my lack of ability to get prepared or precooked food.

We’ve been striving to get debt-free for years and we are getting pretty close. Our investments took a hit as I’m sure many others have noticed. We’re not especially worried since we’re in that for the long haul.

I’m not much of a shopper. I mean I order tons of things online for our homeschool and when the kids ask for something (and they rarely ask for anything!). But I really loathe going inside stores. I don’t care about fashion or accessories or jewelry or makeup. I love seeing the beautiful regular people using this time to show us their tutorials online though.

Of course it’s easier not to spend money and pay off debts when there’s nowhere to go and no one to visit. There’s no point in buying anything.

We read Deuteronomy 15 along with history read aloud of the 2008-09 housing crash and that really was interesting in light of current events. Perhaps we really need a Jubilee?

We’ve been cleaning and purging for spring. Making much needed updates and repairs that have been on our list for ages. We just bought our house!

We read lots. That doesn’t change. We’re bingeing dystopian film and books too!

We do lots of creative things like art, crafts, jewelry…

We play Legos, board games, Switch and Wii, iPads…

We evaluate our priorities and lifestyle all the time and continue to simplify.

Going Outside.

I’m seeing so many more people outside – walking, running, skating, biking, with dogs. They mostly keep a good distance and wave or call hello. It’s pleasant and I hope it continues.

The outdoors aren’t closed or canceled except when they’re getting swamped with people not following the distancing rules.

We love nature and the outdoors and we still do our almost daily walks around our pond and hike off in the woods in our backyard. We play in our driveway and yard.

We love seeing the blossoms and buds that are new each day as the seasons change. We watch the birds and squirrels. We await the new babies.

The warmer weather and sunshine are very welcome.

Making Memories.

We’re pretty doing the same things we’ve always done.

Our life is mostly unchanged.

I wonder what memories we will have of this time in the years to come… What will our kids tell their children? What will history say of us?

We baked brownies and breads, learned how to perfect homemade pasta, had more meals with our families, bought bidets during the great tissue shortage, and shared more of our lives online with our neighbors, friends, and family.

Sometimes, we have to go offline and protect our anxious minds. Perhaps we can grow from this time of rest.

Maybe we’re understanding what community means.

We’re learning what love means in a time of crisis.

How are you passing the time?

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Filed Under: Health Tagged With: growth, health, quarantine

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Comments

  1. Gina says

    March 30, 2020 at 9:58 am

    Hi Inspire Me Monday neighbor. Your final thoughts in your post are spot on. I’ve wondered the same thing about how history (and my grandchildren) will remember this time.

    Reply
  2. Lisa notes says

    March 31, 2020 at 8:01 am

    This is beautifully said, Jennifer. I’m definitely an introvert at heart too so the quarantine part isn’t bothering me either. But of course all the other aspects of it are hurting my heart in major ways. :( Praying for your family with many in the house, including the extra stress load on your husband.

    Reply
  3. angie says

    April 1, 2020 at 10:24 pm

    love your take on all of this quarantine. It is nice at times with all of us at home. I work in health care field and do not have the pleasure of staying home all the time. However, all in all we are enjoying life.

    Reply
  4. Rebecca Hastings says

    April 2, 2020 at 11:46 am

    Great tips of things to learn during this time.

    I am definitely one who loves being home, but this does present challenges for sure!

    Reply
  5. Karen Del Tatto says

    April 3, 2020 at 11:11 am

    Thanks for sharing these valuable lessons from quarantine.

    For me structure and routine have definitely been key and when the weather is nice, being outside DEFINITELY is good for my soul.

    I also planned a Zoom surprise birthday party for my daughter which was a great distraction and very rewarding to see her be so happy as a result.

    May the light of Christ shine brightly through us all during these strange times we are living in right now.

    Reply
  6. Theresa Boedeker says

    April 3, 2020 at 12:12 pm

    I like being home and having a clear calendar, but I also miss the spontaneous things. And planned get togethers with others. Just getting out and chatting with others. Have been playing more board games, walking, yard work, cooking new recipes, and spending time with family.

    Reply
  7. Cherelle | The Inspired Prairie says

    April 7, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    Hey Jennifer,

    I’ve noticed (and heard) a lot of people also saying their going stir crazy, tired of being in the house with their families, cooking too much, etc. and it leaves me questioning a bunch of things about them.

    Yes, it’s not fun to be “forced” to stay home, but I sure am enjoying more time with my family and more downtime without hustle and bustle of running around.

    Our lives are practically unchanged as well, besides the fact of not being able to be in church. But we already homeschooled, I stay home with my kids already, and we live in the middle of nowhere, so we usually were homebodies anyway, lol.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us on the Homestead Blog Hop!

    -Cherelle

    Reply

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