Unexpected and Inspiring Ways the Lockdown is a Good Thing

Am I crazy to say can the lockdown is a good thing? With the pandemic haunting our lives, most of us are locked down. Stuck at home, you might be feeling pointless, anxious, restless. Maybe even depressed. The lockdown is like a cage. 

But sometimes, in cages, we can discover freedom. Like a puppy, if we are placed in the wide world, we will retreat, feel scared. But in a cage, in our safe space, with a routine and a set time to play, we can unwind, rest, and ultimately flourish. 

And that cage might be exactly what the lockdown represents. Don’t get me wrong – I know the reason behind the lockdown is heartbreaking and terrible. But the lockdown itself might be a blessing.

Being Present

One morning, a week into the lockdown, I sat with my coffee, and I listened. I had a sleeping puppy in my lap, so I couldn’t write, or do my morning routine (which is to sip coffee and journal). 

And as I sat holding the pup, with my comforting coffee, I realized the weather was so beautiful. Why was I not enjoying it? It was a fresh cool grey morning, with a slight drizzle that occasionally got heavier. The lawn sprawled in front of me, and everywhere I looked I could see lush greenery.

It was a piece of heaven staring right at me, waiting to be enjoyed. 

And so, I just stopped, and tried to be present. 

What I learned

It is really hard to phonetically spell some of the sounds birds make. 

If you stop to listen, the sound of birds chirping is actually the sound of hundreds of different kinds of birds making a different type of sound. The various sounds are so diverse in nature, each a different language, and yet we entitled humans just classify it as one sound: birds chirping. When I tried to describe them, I came up with a cawwww, coooo-coooo, co-coo-cooo, a chui chui, and trill trill trill. There was also the occasional cock-a-doodle-dooo (we have chickens running around downstairs). 

Even the rain had a myriad of sounds. The ‘patter patter’ of a drizzle on the paved ground. Then the slightly higher pitched, staccato tip, tip on the roof of the patio. Occasionally there would be a splat, where a collection of drops would slide off some other surface and hit the ground. And so many more intricate detailed differences that I couldn’t catch. It was an entire orchestra playing a symphony, an entire world that most of us ignore every single day. How? 

Forced to Slow Down

This awareness wouldn’t have come easy though. Hell, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of it on day one of the lockdown. And before the lockdown, I would have scoffed at the idea of sitting lockdown, not even listening to music. But, even after a week of learning to slow down, I still wasn’t ready to sit and stop. It was just because I was forced to, with a sleeping puppy in my lap. 

Aha Moment

But the moment was beautiful. I felt alive. I felt present. I was in awe of the intricate sounds and the fantastic world I am in. I felt happy, for no reason. 

(Note: Those who know me, know that is NO small feat. With depression, just being neutral is a huge achievement)

And that is how this virus will bring a blessing into our lives. We will have to look inside us. We will have to remove the darkness in ourselves, and then find where we shine brightest. 

The Lockdown is a Good Thing

Hence, the lockdown might seem like a cage for some. But, it is in the process of setting me free