Needs vs. Wants
As an extrovert, if anyone had told me that I would go over 4 months without having dinner with friends, going to conferences, holding in-person meetings or going to church, I would have said I could not do it. Nope, not me. Not that long in my house. I need people. Lots of people. I need to talk to them, hug them, interact with them. It recharges my battery.
But much to my surprise, with God’s help, I’ve done it. We all have. I’m happy to see that the strict quarantine measures have ended and that, like a seed planted in March, we are slowly rising up towards getting out more—safely. Who knew I would miss things I had taken for granted such as going to the grocery store, the movies, eating in a restaurant, browsing in a store, or having a sports or weekend section in the newspaper?
The shutdown has given me time to do something I’ve just never done—contemplate and meditate in silence. Take many walks where I revel in God’s works. Reevaluate what is important and what is extraneous. What are our needs versus wants? And how often do I really need to order something from Amazon?
I have found that I don’t need nearly as many material things as I once thought. And I think twice before I buy anything. Purging closets has been a delight. My house has never been as organized. My office has been decluttered (because after all, that is where my Zoom meetings occur).
I have reinforced what I always knew—that time with my family is so important. When my youngest children went off to college, I assumed we would never have sustained time again as a family unit. So, this has been a unique opportunity. I listen to the sounds of my family interacting. Laughing over something together, dinner together, playing Jenga, doing puzzles, the works.
