The New Normal

2 days shy of 3 months ago, I sent Sean to daycare for the last time. Tomorrow is his first day back and I'd be lying if I said I don't feel conflicted about it. On one hand I'm glad he'll be able to see his friends and teachers and get that structure back again. On the other hand though, I feel guilty sending him back when I'm not going back to work yet. Now, logic tells me this is a good thing, we both need a break from each other and he's going into a safe environment (because you know if I had any doubts I wouldn't be sending him) where he'll be engaged in more ways than what I can do myself. Of course, that innate sense of guilt doesn't really listen to logic. I fear that tomorrow I will be just like I was when I first sent him, crying like a moron, but I also take comfort in the fact that I can go and get him whenever I want. I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see how tomorrow goes, I'll report back soon.

In other news, we've recently taken to walking around our neighborhood park on nice days. At first we were walking over and back which, along with our loops around the park, made up the better part of 4 miles. However, having fair Irish skin my relationship with the sun is not the best. That plus having to push the stroller up over the ramps that span the highway made the walk over less than enjoyable. So now we hop in the car and drive over and we walk around the park 4 times, which is roughly 2 miles. Munchkin also loves the pond there and seeing the ducks, turtles, and the occasional geese and heron around. The park also has a ton of Pokestops so me and my Pokemon Go playing self can play while we walk around and he takes in all the sights. There's also a part of the path that borders the highway and he loves to sit there sometimes and watch the cars go by.

Last week was also interesting because me and my fellow store managers were actively prepping our stores for reopening. Admittedly, we anticipated being able to open this Monday (6/15 for you future folk), but unfortunately traditional mall openings are still a no go for NYC and NJ. Part of me is relieved but part of me was also frustrated because, though I don't like the idea of dealing with the unwashed masses again, my company's safety protocol makes me feel safe enough that I feel comfortable opening my store again. Last week though I was mainly helping what I refer to as my "sister" store since we always help each other out, since they still had shipment to process so while the other store manager dealt with that I did all the price changes and visual updates and it was nice to get back into the swing of things. I did get into my store a little bit but thankfully my store doesn't need as much attention, I'll probably go in sometime this week to do an inventory check and make sure all our styles are displayed on the floor but otherwise we're good to go!

As we slowly adjust to this new normal remember, dear reader, to please be safe. If this pandemic has taught me anything it's what and who truly matters. Now that things are easing up remember those who were there for you, even while apart, and make time for those people. Also remember to make time for yourself. If you're anything like me I'm sure you need time to relax and recharge and do those things that make you happy. Remember those things and continue to make time for them too. If we keep these things in mind, we'll all be better off in the long run, pandemic or no pandemic.