I leaned in during the pandemic --

into food (a daily late-night block of cheese is a thing, right?),

into wine (and more wine and more wine),

into Netflix (yes, Netflix, I'm still here and still watching),

into my couch (a new pandemic purchase because why not),

into the treadmill (so I wouldn't feel so guilty about all my eating and drinking),

into a devotional (because sometimes a girl needs some saving),

into Jesus music (because it makes me want to be a better person),

into store-bought coffee (a costly addiction),

into Amazon (I love you, Prime),

into writing (it's flippin' cheaper than therapy),

into running (like hell from anyone I know because, you know, there's a pandemic),

into zooms, phone calls, and texts (because that be the way it is),

into my less than appealing but comfortable shell (because extroverted introverts be like that),

into work (around the house, on myself, or helping the three kids with theirs),

into anything that could be my escape from it (I want off this merry-go-round),

into social media (because I miss people),

into my closet (they won't find me in here, right?),

into music (because sometimes you need to "Shake it off"),

into my sweatpants (the bond we developed can never be broken),

into the outdoors (a walk a day keeps the saddies away),

into my head (it can be scary in there),

into my soul (what does it need?),

in to structured-unstructure (which is the only way I know how to describe how me and mine have been operating,

into grace (and recognizing that every human needs an abundance of it),

into forgiveness (of who I have and haven't been during this pandemic),

into full acceptance of the 'whole self' that is me and those whom I love.

So, yeah, I "leaned in" in 2020 and 2021, and where I'm presently at is here ---> leaning into the belief that if I'm still standing and occasionally laughing, I'm doing alright.