#letter blog itcouldalwaysbeworse kids family appreciate fatface carbs

[chicassht]

A Letter to Myself

BLOG POST 4

Growing up, I didn’t come from a family where everything we did had a life lesson. Thank god. (Although there were a lot of educational vacations. That’s a whole other post though.) And while I was raised Jewish, we were not a religious family by any stretch of the imagination.That being said, one of the books I remember most vividly from my childhood, was a classic Jewish parable called It Could Always Be Worse! At the time I don’t think I quite grasped how quintessentially Jewish the title is. I can literally hear my Grandma Clara saying it in her Yiddish accent while she mushed my tush. But I digress.

The story is about a man who lived in a small house with his wife and several children. He felt paralyzed and overcrowded by his circumstances and finally went to the Rabbi for advice. The Rabbi told him to go home and bring a farm animal into the house. A week goes by and the man returns to the Rabbi, saying he feels even more cramped now. The rabbi tells him to add yet another animal. This goes on and on for weeks with more and more animals loaded into the house. Eventually the Rabbi says to remove all of the animals from the house. Once they are out, the man is ecstatic. He feels like he has a whole new home and now sees his situation in a new light. He is appreciative for all he has. It could always be worse.

I’m sure the relevance of this story’s message to our current situation is not lost on you. So, in keeping with remembering that things could always be worse, I have tried to write an honest letter to my future self, post corona apocalypse. So I can remind myself of what I’ve learned and what I already have in my life. 

April 13, 2020

Dear Post Corona Gwen,

Well, you did it! And you look AMAZING. I’m so glad you decided to start doing online dance classes, and running. Or at least running to online dance classes.

I wonder what it’s like on the other side. I wonder what you’re like on the other side. I would imagine, knowing you the way I do, that you haven’t changed all that much. I think you will appreciate your friends and family a bit more. You might shop a little less (Just a little though. Don’t forget about that super cute Juliet Dunn dress in your Matches shopping bag.)

But the one thing I’d like you to reflect on, is your perspective on having it all. I know it’s something you think about a lot. And everyone has a different definition of what ‘having it all’ means. To you it’s about balancing a successful full time job and the time you spend with your family and friends. But on top of that you look for praise and acknowledgement that you also somehow find time to cook (sometimes), entertain, manage schedules, work out regularly, have a side hustle and still keep up with ALL the Netflix and even some of the books and podcasts too.

I have no doubt that you will still want all of that now as life returns to normal. But, instead of always rushing to the office for an important meeting, remember it often works just as well to do it from home. And if that makes things easier for you, don’t sweat it. Because if you hadn’t been at home all those months, you might not know that Otis really needs to practice his cello. And that he’s an amazing football/soccer goalie! Not to mention, you’re actually pretty good at football yourself, even in jeans. Chic.

And Izzy is so confident and natural on his skateboard. So next time he asks to ride it to school, just cool your jets and let him, instead of stressing out about it making you late. Remember that having it all, isn’t just about you. To have it all, is for you to have a happy family. And when you’re stressed or putting too much pressure on yourself, they feel that.

Having it all is also not just a list of things to check off. Spending time with your family is more than being in the same place at the same time. You have so many friends that live all over the world. A lot of whom it’s taken a pandemic to reconnect with. Don’t just talk about your friends. Talk to them.

And Adam. I know his chewing is super loud and annoying. We’ll never truly understand what goes on inside of there.  But yes, I think at some point in the last ten years he had a mini megaphone installed in his mouth just to irritate you. That said, remember that you never felt closer than when you were forced to spend every single second of the day together in unprecedented circumstances. It was no longer a competition over who had done more or who hadn’t done enough. You just shared the load and got on with things. Appreciating each other. Except that time when you cleaned all the toilets in your house of three pee and poop stain blind boys. You keep that one in your back pocket for a rainy day. 

You loved having every meal together as a family. And Higgins loved it the most. That dog eats so much more when he’s not starving himself with separation anxiety.

Anyway, you get the idea. I really hope you continue some of the thing you were forced into, now as life adjusts back to normal. That you remember what you’ve learned about yourself and what you’ve learned to appreciate. But, Gwen, if you remember one thing, please let it be this. Pandemic or no pandemic, drinking alcohol and eating carbs every day makes your face fat. Knock it off.

Love Always,

Corona Gwen

P.S. I almost forgot. When you’re hormonal, maybe take a break from the old Insta. It doesn’t matter what anybody else is achieving (or saying they’re achieving). You’re doing great and I love you. And maybe that is having it all!

#letter blog itcouldalwaysbeworse kids family appreciate fatface carbs