Among Friends

[NicksmomESQ]

 @Shanus  I hear you. I love my house.It's comfy & cozy.It's my families soft place to fall .It's a wonderful gathering spot for those close to us.However, now it's become our place of confinement.

   Luckily, DH & son & I are very close. This has brought us even closer together.We love & support each other. That being said this mandatory confinement is getting to us. This isn't natural or normal for us.

   Frankly,it's getting depressing.We have a lot of once in a lifetime family milestones coming up this year, that have already been cancelled or remain uncertain.

   I won't be looking back on this time with any good feelings at all.Yes, so far we are healthy for which I'm grateful.But the collateral damage to my family is staggering.

[AnikaBrodie]

We love our retirement home and enjoy our neighbors most of whom are also retired and have become good friends.  We miss meeting with them for lunch or coffee or just conversation.  We downsized a little over a year ago to a one story home and feel at peace here.  A questionable future is what grabs at us sometimes because of all the uncertainties and what ifs.  No one can say for sure what or when may happen re. Covid19 or some future virus or unknown entity.

We've been sheltering for almost six weeks now and look forward to more seasonable weather when we can get outdoors and plant flowers and get our hands dirty and decorate and just sit and enjoy the birds and bees and animals and all that nature has to offer.  Our spring has been cold, windy and rainy for the most part.  Having some sun and warmer temps should do a lot to brighten our mood.

I love our home so I think once this is over I will still enjoy being home, but I will also enjoy the opportunity to go out for dinner, or to visit a relative or friend, or to attend my church, or to go shopping or to the library, or whatever else interests me at any given moment.  But I regret that we will not be able to return to normal as we have always known it because of the fears we all now know from the unseen and deadly virus in our world.  So as much as I hate the phrase social distancing I also dislike the "new normal" atmosphere, whatever that may mean.

[hckynut]

@Shanus 

I have called our home "our paradise" for years, and on this forum. Been retired the whole time we have lived here. Many of those years I spent recovering from health issues and injuries, yes in our home.

No Wuhan virus or any other "shelter in place" will ever change how much I love being home. Sure, I like people, but can do just fine with only my wife and our furry kids.

Why I am in our home makes no difference, my feeling will always be the same. Trapped? Nope!

hckynut 🏒

[occasionalrain]

I had thought I'd accomplish a lot while staying home, but I have accomplished nothing worth mentioning.

I don't mind being home, getting up in the morning with no appointments, commitments, no places to be or people to meet. 

[happycat]

I think I will still enjoy being home when all this is over. I miss going out shopping, going to eat and and picking out my own food at the grocery store.

I am comfortable, right now I am tired and thinking of taking a nap, lol.

[bikerbabe]

I love my home. I’ll be honest I have difficulty understanding people feeling trapped. I try to understand but I admit, I don’t. It’s not like you can’t go outside. I think it’s such a small sacrifice compared to earlier generations - Great Depression, WWII.

[Mom2Dogs]

I enjoy our home.  One issue for me is just boredom...I try to have a project every day, and not just doing the laundry or making dinner.  I have run out of things to do in the house and am patiently waiting for a warm day or days to get out side.  The last warm day we had was Easter Sunday, we are over due for some nice weather.

I have always been a home body, but do miss having dinner with friends.

Our state will have a slow opening on May 1...following the  federal government guidelines.  DH and I may be back to our business mid May.

[Drythe]

Really, so much has changed, some things simply will not go back

to what they were.  That’s NOT doom and gloom, I think we will make some great, inventive improvements.

Curious as I am about what the new will be, I’ll not be in the first group to skip out.

Think I’ll always love my safe place.

[riley1]

@Drythe - Well said. I do not feel trapped at all and won't when this is over. I have been quilting up a storm - this gives me more time with my "Princess" Bernina, lol.

While everything here is opening including hotels, etc, the visitors will be coming in droves. We are not in a hurry to run around and go for dinner, a mall or a movie. Hubby has heart disease so we are being careful.