I am realizing that planning must have normally taken up a huge part of my life, pre-pandemic. 

I carefully organized work deadlines.  I prepared for clients’ arrivals, orientations, visits and departures.  I thought through course times, speakers, translators, materials. I made master schedules, complete with color coordination and meticulous notes.  

With my children, I noted down kids’ schedules and times to be at practices, away game buses or home game viewing.  I grocery shopped according to their needs, figured out nights we could all eat together as a family, and stocked the pantry with appropriate snacks.

For our family, I considered and then planned out fun things to do.  For vacations, my husband and I discussed options, scoured websites for places that met everyone’s interests and then put all the ideas on paper.

That was then.  Now we live in a much more spontaneous world.  Today was a good example.  It’s Monday, and I have suddenly decided to get together with a few friends this week.  I threw out two choices of evenings, and we have already agreed on Thursday.

Two people are away, but so far, the others can come.  The act of planning something has me rather ridiculously excited, I admit. It’s a silver lining for me to realize how much this “planning” is a part of me.  (I’m sure it’s not a surprise to others.)  It’s another silver lining to realize that I have Tuesday, Wednesday and part of Thursday to anticipate seeing them all.  (And yes, it will be outside, with a small number of people, with plenty of room between those of us who don’t see each other regularly!)