Mar 24, 2020

Freeschoolin' Peace In A Pandemic

Nothing is easy about this time.

Corona Chaos has overtaken our lives in all parts of the world. On one hand, this is the most turmoil many have ever seen in their lives. On the other, we've never been more close and united as a global community.

It has been beautiful to see some of things that have come out of this crisis. People coming together, clear waters, singing on balconies, pollution visibly and drastically reduced. It has been awful to witness the loss, stress and pain people have been subjected to. The uncertainty looms over, it's darkness seemingly descending upon us rapidly. How can me and my family find peace? It's not easy, but worthy things rarely are.

Our family lives in Ontario, Canada, the epicentre of the virus chaos in the country. Our province and local city is in a state of emergency and only essential services are open. Playgrounds are closed, some entire parks are closed, there is a fire ban in our township and we are not to go out and socialize, nor have people over to our home. We are to practice "Physical Distancing." Our situation is not grim, however. We rent an apt over the garage of a country home on several acres so while our living quarters are quite small, approx 500 sq ft, we have lots of space to roam that we wouldn't have living in the city. Here is what our family has been doing to cultivate peace during this time.

Slowing Down

I've lived the fast corporate work day. I've done the single mom grind. I know the stress of go, go, go. So we generally do not live our lives this way. But even I was getting caught up in a speed I didn't know how to slow down and had been vocalizing it to Jaze for months. Providing homeschool events for Hope and our community, LARP plans, social gatherings and get togethers, book publishing, crop planning, horse training and so, so much more. It was too much and I can see that very clearly now that we can't be social like we could just 2 weeks ago. We have had to slow down. I have had to slow down. And in accepting it fully and letting go of all I can't control, life feels so much lighter.

Focusing on Gratitude

So, there's a lot we're losing and missing out on right now. I can't change that, so the other option is to focus on what we DO have. I have been hoarding craft supplies for 20 years so we have no shortage of projects we can get into. For the first time ever in our marriage of 10 years we have a fully stocked fridge, freezer and pantry (built up before there was a crisis). We have a wonderful horse to have fun with, spring is almost here and we have everything to start planning our garden for 2020. There's far too much to write down, but obviously, we've got nothing to be complaining about. Life is not only still good, it's great.

Social Connecting

In this time of Physical Distancing we don't need to be socially isolating. The technology is here to connect us in a way like never before. I remember many years ago talking with my friends in school about the idea of video phones and now they are a reality! If there was ever a time to be grateful for screens it is definitely now. We need not be antisocial in a time we need to be antiviral. We can write, video, share art, connect in groups, all from the safety and comfort of our homes. Seeking Truth

I am diagnosed with an anxiety disorder so I spend a lot of time trying to minimize fear. As soon as I come across something that might keep me up at night with worry, I start my research. I look into what people on the ground are saying. I look into sources of information that have no reason to profit from deception. I look at who is making a profit. I find fear fades with knowledge. Even if the odds are against me, knowing gives me paths to solutions for things I'm afraid of.

Reaching Out In the end, if I still can't find peace, I reach out to others and find solace in knowing I'm not alone. There is grim comfort in knowing that though my path is hard, I'm not the only one walking it and wondering if we're going to be ok. So please reach out if you are in need. To us, to the Freeschoolin' Community, to your family, friends and communities through phone, online and even through post/mail. The Last 2 Weeks The day our town started to panic buy and the day before libraries shut down we went to town and got some things. The Barrie Public Library lends out instruments so Jaze got us a violin and a ukulele to try out. We've learned a lot since having them and look forward to continuing! Our local naturally raised country food store Nicholyn Farms had everything we needed and is still open to serve the public with safety measures in place. We only go the barn when we go to help out at Earth Valley Organics and interact with no one but the horses so we have been going regularly to do that. Keeps life feeling somewhat normal. We of course have our own barn to attend to with our horse, River, to love on. You can follow his adventures on our Facebook page Hartland Ranch. Hope has also been crafting up a storm along with her daily drawings and colouring.

SUBJECTS Reading Drama Conflict Resolution Livestock Care Environmental Studies Economics Retail Politics Crafting Decision Making Risk Assessment Art Music Social Studies Resource Management Preparedness Tecnnology Math So Much More...