Are You Ready For Some …Normal?

At this time of year I always get a little excited. The weather starts to turn just a bit and suddenly there’s a lot of football in the air. I love the start of the NFL season and I’ve often celebrated it with an NFL kickoff party. However, in the year of 2020 and all the bad news Covid brought – sickness, death, financial despair and uncertainty; the racial justice movement, a throwback to the 60’s civil rights movement indicating that we haven’t come as far as we should have 60 years later; and the general disappointment and heave burden of profound loss, I had no idea I would feel so happy.

The season kickoff symbolized a variation of the old normal and the first signs for me that we can move on towards our new normal. I miss “normal” and life that is plain, regular and without drama or division or adrenalin rushes. I do not need or want the daily excitement or, more accurately, the chaos that has permeated our society for the last few years. Give me normal. The simple idea of that makes me old-fashioned, no strings attached, favorite meal in front of me, hugging a puppy, little girl welcoming my Daddy home happy.

I think for now, we all need to look for – no, hunt for- these moments of normalcy and embrace them. We need to do it for our mental and emotional well-being.  I recently went to a restaurant and enjoyed sitting on their outdoor patio with a couple of friends for happy hour. It was the first time in almost 9 months I had such an activity. We regularly went to happy hour pre 2020 and it felt foreign to be talking to these ladies in person. We were eager to do it again and again, wearing masks and social distanced from others,  until it feels like our new normal.

Who knew normal could be so great and feel so good.