Counting blessings during crisis is difficult but necessary

Date: 4/7/2020

As the days of social distancing have turned into weeks and the Reminder Publishing staff has transitioned to working from home, I find myself in a familiar and foreign position at the same time.

It was just about a year ago that I became the editor of the Longmeadow News and Enfield Press and in the months before Reminder Publishing purchased those papers as part of its acquisition of the former Westfield News Group, I worked exclusively out of our home office in Springfield. When doing that, it became extremely evident to me how important drawing a line between work and home life is. For the most part, it was fairly easy. After all, my wife still went to work every day and our daughter still went to daycare. When the house was empty, it became my workspace. When they came home, it was time for me to enter “daddy mode” once again.

Now, things are a bit more complicated. My wife, a teacher, is home as is my daughter whose daycare, along with others statewide, closed down. My wife has maintained a schedule and a routine for our daughter, which has provided some much-needed structure as well as the ability for me to work in relative peace. Still, the fact that “Daddy is still working” is a phrase that my 2-year-old has already mastered has broken my heart on more than one occasion.

With that, it has become increasingly important to me to draw that line in the sand between work and home. Having to make that conscious decision every day has made me more aware of how precious this time is and has reminded me to count my blessings.

Admittedly, there’s a fair amount of the time that I contemplate how much I can stand of the 2 ½-foot-tall blond-haired, blue-eyed demon who dictates our self-isolated lives. But more often there are the moments when I just can’t help by smile as I watch my baby turn into a bright, beautiful little girl before my eyes. It’s a blessing.

In these uncertain and often unsettling times, it’s easy to lose sight of the blessings that surround us each day. It’s important for us, especially now, to pause, take a deep breath and recognize them.

In the Maza household, we take stock of our blessings every day at dinner when we go around the dinner table and share one good thing about our day. Of course, some days it is harder to find the good than others, but even the little things can blessings. And sharing them might provide a perspective for someone else that allows them to find their own light in the darkness.

So now I’ll share with you a few of the blessings I’ve found in these trying times.

Time with my daughter has given me greater appreciation for some of the simple things. Blowing bubbles, for example, is amazingly cathartic, sort of like popping bubble wrap only more rewarding because you’re creating something. And birds are really fun to watch when you actually stop and observe their behavior.

I’m also grateful for the additional time I’m getting to spend with my wife. With the bustle of everyday life, too often we don’t truly get to spend the time we’d like to with one another.

My dog has helped remind me of the simple pleasure a patch of grass and a ball can offer.

I have been able to walk and hike more than I normally would. Before my daughter was born, my wife and I enjoyed hiking often, including taking vacations to the White Mountains. We had taken I hiatus from the trails but now have found our way back into nature, albeit on a smaller scale due to the toddler strapped to my wife’s back.

In general, I’ve been healthier, which is strange to say in the midst of a pandemic. Perhaps I have put more of a focus on my lifestyle because of what is happening around us. Perhaps I just don’t have as many excuses. Whatever the reason, I am exercising regularly with the weights in my basement and the aforementioned hikes and walks. The St. Patrick’s Road Race in Holyoke was canceled this year, but I signed up for a virtual 10K this May. The fact that the medal is a bottle-opening Baby Yoda may or may not have been the contributing factor in why I decided to go with the 10K I chose.

I’ve been able to try new things with my smoker. When the staff was still working in newsroom, I declared that if we had to stay home I was going to smoke so much meat. It has been a hidden perk to social distancing. With a stocked chest freezer in the basement, I have put my culinary mastery to the test with some delicious results. Today, I’m trying cornish hens for the first time. If you have any recipes, by the way, I’m always looking to expand my repertoire.

I recognize that in addition to my health, I am fortunate to have much that others do not and for that, I am very appreciative.

What about you? What’s the little thing that made you smile today? What’s the victory you experienced or the hurdle you overcame?

In these challenging times, it’s never been more important to celebrate the good.