What is normal, anyway? I’ve been thinking about this a lot this week as I consider what a new normal looks like for me. Before, it seemed I was always stressed, always moving fast, and always dealing with issues that seemed insurmountable at times. But as I’ve taken a break from alcohol, I’ve started to put my life into a different and better perspective. I’m settling into a much more peaceful place I would call a new normal.
I don’t really know if anything is normal in the world anymore. This morning, while taking my daughter and her friend to school, we had a conversation about the recent school shooting in Georgia, and I found myself at a loss for what to say. My only thought was to ask them if they felt safe at school, to which they both said no. The best thing I could come up with was, “If you see somebody that bothers you or something that you think doesn’t feel right or seem right, tell somebody. Don’t hold it in.” That’s the new normal. Driving your daughter to school and the thought crossing your mind: Let’s just pray that this isn’t the day that somebody walks into a school with a loaded firearm. That is the new normal.
Another new normal for me is happiness. I completely changed gears. I find myself much happier even when things go wrong, even when things seem out of place, and even when situations happen that are out of my control. It’s okay. I’ve learned that it’s going to be okay. And I think that’s another new normal. A new normal is also waking up happy every day with a smile on my face, thankful for a good night’s sleep, and enjoying what’s going to come from the day. It may not all be good, but a new normal is a sense of feeling—feeling a sense of refreshment in the morning. That’s a new normal.
So, I don’t really know what normal is anyway. But one thing I have found over the recent days and weeks is that I am experiencing a new normal of feeling better. That’s something to feel good about.