I’ve talked about the negative impact that seems to relate to sheltering-in-place, but some changes are good. Saturday and again this morning, Kate was up early enough for me to fix her breakfast and enjoy being with her while drinking my coffee. I think these were the fourth of fifth times she has had breakfast since our being homebound. Being together for breakfast has never been a part of our marriage. I am an early riser and like to eat soon after I am dressed. Kate sleeps later and hasn’t had a great interest in breakfast, at least not right away.
Although her getting up for breakfast changes my morning routine, I find that it has two benefits. One is that it gives Kate something more nourishing than what she had in the past. Second, it provides us with a pleasant relatively quiet moment to start our day together. In each case, I have played soft music that is relaxing to fit the pace that we both enjoy in the morning. Our conversation matches the pace of the music. That works well for Kate and for me as well.
Is this change caused by our being homebound? I don’t really know. I only know that it corresponds to the time we were asked to shelter-in-place. Prior to that time, we would have gone to Panera for a blueberry muffin. Kate enjoyed the 400-plus-calorie muffin, and we both enjoyed the social contact it provided.
We only leave home for takeout now. That gives us much more time together and has been a bonus. On the other hand, it also leads to Kate’s being bored, so she sleeps or rests much more now. I believe the extra rest she gets plays a direct role in her sometimes waking earlier. It’s not just that she gets more rest. Her rest is intermittent and irregular. She rests a while. Then she sleeps. Then she rests while awake. I am sure that some days she gets more sleep than on other days. I believe she wakes early the mornings after days she has had more sleep the day before.
Whatever the reason, I have enjoyed the change, and it encourages me about the future. For a long time, I felt that we would ultimately transition to a day when we spend more time at home. Covid-19 may be introducing that transition earlier than I had anticipated. It reminds me that change can bring about both positive and negative consequences. This is one I welcome.
