This year was already going to be different. My twin daughters had started college in the fall, so we contemplated how we would celebrate Easter. My husband and I decided we’d drive down to the college that weekend. It would be the first Easter we’d ever celebrated without our parents and extended family, but we knew things were going to change now that our girls were in school. We just didn’t realize how much things would change this year—for everyone.
Chaos and Corona
The coronavirus caused chaos for just about everyone’s life in early 2020. Outside of concerns about health and wellness, many plans were cancelled or delayed. The virus had taken control of our lives and left us with uncertainty, and stress. That Easter weekend at the college didn’t happen, along with many other things, and the girls are finishing their second semester virtually from home.
Changing Expectations
Changes often lead to a lot of disappointment when things don’t turn out how we expect, unless we look for ways to reevaluate our expectations and make the most of a situation out of our control. We still didn’t get to celebrate Easter with our parents and extended family, but we got the gift of having the girls at home for Easter—the first one we’ve ever spent with only our immediate
family.
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| Scruff has a lot of toys- but he can have just as much fun with a stick. |
Winning With Writing
Nothing gives me, and most authors, more pleasure than sharing my stories and characters with the world. I wrote a lot of flash fiction when I started writing. Most of these short stories are tucked away on my computer, until I found an opportunity to unearth one, Detective Paws and Lip Gloss, and release it in an anthology. It gave me great pleasure to revisit these characters and release it in an anthology for a good cause.
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| Detective Paws & Lip Gloss is featured in Book 1 |
I have many stories in draft form. Some need polishing, while others are far from finished. These stories weigh on my conscious. They’re more impatient for my time and attention than a toddler, filling me with guilt at leaving them unfinished.
One of those partial stories was from last November. It first year in many that I didn’t ‘win’ (write a 50,000 word story) in National Novel Writing. I had a great story idea, but with an overloaded day-job schedule, I didn’t get very far. It left me very disappointed. I’ve decided to change my expectations for that story and release it in an anthology this fall. So perhaps I didn’t fail, and I can still ‘win’.
Other Ways My Expectations Have Changed During COVID
- Less going out to eat = more time having dinner with my family & save money
- Less time for concerts, and getting together with friends = more time to walk and exercise
- Girls not getting to return to campus = more time together, including Mother’s Day
- Challenges getting paper products and cleaning supplies = becoming more mindful of what I use
Look for Happiness Today
Sure one day I might be one of those old ladies hoarding cleaning wipes and toilet paper because of COVID-19, but for now, I can challenge and change my expectations to be happier today.
How Have You Changed Expectations to Increase Your Happiness?
Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four
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