I was walking through Lowe’s store last Saturday morning. If you’re a homeowner you were probably making a similar trip to your local home improvement store. There’s a never-ending list of chores that come with owning a home. My home, complete with 3 cats, two goats and 6 chickens, is my heaven but it also means that I’m at Lowe’s and Tractor Supply at least once, usually twice, a week.
So, I was walking through Lowe’s on Saturday, sipping my cup of coffee and my husband was behind me, peering at something on his phone and telling me about a funny Facebook post he’d seen. I stopped a couple of times to pet the dogs that people had brought in the store with them and exchange a few words. People in the aisles were smiling at me as I walked by and I was smiling back. It was a perfectly normal Saturday morning.
And then it hit me. It was a NORMAL Saturday morning. There were no masks, no social distancing, and I could see people smiling. I was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of joy and gratitude. We’ve spent the last year so sheltered and so alone in so many ways. The simple act of enjoying my coffee as I strolled around Lowe’s made me so happy that my husband asked why I was walking around with a big goofy smile on my face.
There were so many major changes and terrible events during the pandemic and I’m proud of the world for coming together to get through it. When I think back over the past year however, It’s the little things I’ve missed;
Chatting in the check out line with the woman in front of me,
Wandering around Lowe’s drinking a cup of coffee,
Holding the door open for someone as they brushed past me a mere 12 inches away,
Shaking hands with people,
Sitting inside a restaurant,
…and so many other tiny things that we never thought we wouldn’t have.
I know we’re not past the pandemic and many areas of the world are still struggling and still alone. My heart goes out to those people and I’m sending them thoughts and wishes for a quick return to the tiny things that we took for granted. In the meantime, I’m going to remember to appreciate my weekly trip to the home improvement store and find joy in the normal.
About Eliza
Eliza is the owner of two successful pet related businesses; Preferred Pet Partners, a pet sitting and dog walking company, and The Pet Business Coach, offering coaching and resources to aspiring or current pet related business entrepreneurs. She maintains two awesome blogs. One for pet parents https://preferredpetpartners.com/blog/ and one for pet business owners https://thepetbusinesscoach.dog/blog-page/. Eliza also supports various animal rescue and shelter organizations. Eliza and her husband have three furry family members. Visit her websites: www.preferredpetpartners.com or www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog.
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