I Believe My Pig Is Whistling* – How Corona Takes The World Upside Down

I was silent last week 

I had turned inward to get my head around the unbelievable. The spread of a virus, which has turned our lives upside down and let us hold our breath. Stores and borders are closed, everybody is called to stay inside. Our highly appreciated globalization has come to a standstill.

My daily routines have turned upside down.

Currently, we are trying to homeschool 3 kids and split the housework as best as we can between us adults, while carefully watching the news to be informed about the facts.

We are very fortunate that we are all in the house together. We eat, cook, learn, play and fight together. One day, and then the next day and the over next. Already 10 days ago my husband was prompted to work from home. The Company has acted immediately to prevent the inevitable. Safety first.

Now, we are all together. Is it a threat or a chance?

There had been times in my life, where this would have been the worst nightmare for me: everyone in the house, no time for myself. During summer vacation it´s normally on day three I throw a tantrum, complaining about clothes and toys placed all over. No help in the household, everyone wants something . But things have changed. Luckily, they have changed before this world-wide crisis had started.

When end of February, it was foreseeable that schools will close, I asked myself: “how will I deal with the fact, that everybody is home and we have to cook for and feed 5 people 24/7?”. The answer was clear:

I have to deal with it, with love and compassion.

I don´t want my kids to be scared about what´s going on and I can´t take away the fact, that they won´t be able to meet their friends. The moment we are all at home, we have to make sure, we have a peaceful flow and everyone has at least some kind of routine.

Normally, we would get up in the morning, have breakfast and everybody except me would leave the house. The house turns utterly silent than and I walk up to my office, ready for creative output. The peaceful calm is only disturbed by the washing machine tumbling it´s noise up to my desk.

Still in 2018, we had lived a different life. We moved between countries and lived a life as an Expat family, so I was taking care of the family and the household full-time. I was doing this for about 10 years, until finally all three kids were at school. Suddenly, plenty of time for myself.

Time to dive into my own projects; time to organize my day independently. I was not underemployed and I was not bored. Not at all. I fully enjoyed the time alone and I always found something to do to not waste the time with social media, TV and other distractions. The afternoons went by quickly, our family time was limited. At weekends we planned trips and spent our time in nature. It was good to be together, but I also enjoyed Monday mornings, when everybody had left the house and I was by myself.

All of a sudden, things have changed.

We are together day by day and we have to go with the flow. Install new routines, support the kids with their schoolwork. My husband and I keep our morning routines, getting up early to have time for ourselves. We wake up the kids, enjoy breakfast and everyone starts to work. The kids have to check their online school programs and my husband starts his endless business calls. I will help the little one with her assignments and figure out a plan for lunch.

For us, this is a gift. The gift of consciously spending time together. I am very grateful, that nobody is in quarantine or has to leave the house to go to work. This is the first time, we are together at the same place without having vacation and visiting fancy beaches or stroll through nature. Nothing exciting is happening and still we have to deal with it. It´s only week two, but it already has given us more family time, than the best vacation could ever do.

That´s my point of view. But this virus does not only affect our family. Beside the threat and fear that arise, it is a chance for all of us to rethink our values and “plans for life”. Are we chasing the right goals? Can we be kinder, less selfish and support the environment with less waste of natural resources better? This crisis is not about a virus spreading around the globe, it´s about a modern civilization with all its highlights and lowlights. It´s a time to reflect and renew.

How do you  deal with the Corona crisis? With love and compassion or with fear and anxiety? It’s good to remember, that we always have a choice in life.