One of my favorite summer activities as a child was going to the beach. Not the beach you’re thinking of. I grew up in the Chicago area. The Great Lakes do have beaches. We especially enjoyed making several trips each summer to the Warren Dunes in Michigan. We’d get up super early in the morning, pack the car with our picnic lunch, gear, towels, and suntan oil, and head out for a day of fun in the sun.
A favorite beach activity is building sandcastles. While I never reached expert level, I could certainly do the basic pail shaped variety. With bucket and shovel in hand, I was raring to go. The perfect spot? Check. Water? Check. Sand? Check. Creativity? Check. Imagination? Check. Spot claimed and cleared. Now to get some water. Back and forth. Back and forth. More water. More sand. Something wasn’t quite right. I’m sure that I left the water’s edge with a full bucket. However, by the time I got back to my spot half the water was gone. Huh? What the heck? Had I been running too fast, causing the water to spill out? I hadn’t tripped or fallen. Then I felt it…the water hitting the top of my foot, a steady stream at that. Somehow, somewhere along the line, a crack and a hole formed in my plastic pail. Cue “There’s a Hole in My Bucket” here.
These pandemic days feel exactly like this. My bucket of joy, creativity, and potential has sprung a leak. More than a slow leak, a steady stream. We’re not quite at colander level drainage yet, but I could see things going in that general direction. No infomercial super sealant to be had. What gives?
Many of the things that filled my bucket of joy prior to the pandemic simply aren’t possible now, necessitating finding new sources of strength, joy, coping, and resilience. Slowly but surely, I’m finding new ways to deal. Some days I’m even thriving. Do you relate? What is working for you? Where are you finding new sources of joy? How are you keeping your bucket filled and plugging that leak?