August 2020
rou·tine
/ro͞oˈtēn/
noun
1.) a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program
Routine is surely what has gotten me through this pandemic so far; obviously it’s a different routine than normal…but it’s something.
I so miss seeing our restaurant full of people celebrating life events. You realize that these gatherings are so important. They are the reason we dress up, get a haircut or manicure, save our money, grab a special bottle of wine, etc. So we can meet, catch up with old friends and decompress…
Our “routine” now involves a temperature check every morning when we arrive at work. Covid spray. Plating food in boxes. Just keeping Copine afloat. Shaun and I have also tried to make time (in a schedule that typically allows zero time for self-care) for just that. Reflection, meditation, hikes and deep breaths.
But the brightest part is that our whole team has stayed very connected.
Two of our kitchen staff are working elsewhere for the time being: one is in San Diego, temporarily feeding folks who cannot feed themselves and a second is delivering for one of our purveyors.
Angela comes on Wednesday to catch up and brainstorm cocktails. Thursdays Amy and Anica stop in. Fridays bring a visit from Jeana and Michael. Jason and Marcie visit when time allows. And every Sunday, one of these fine folks comes in to help me with pick-ups. In each case they sit and catch me up on life and how they are filling their time these days, usually over a glass of wine that we are more than happy to provide.
I cannot explain how much peace this brings me…my team is like a touchstone. Healing and comforting at the same time. A bright spot of routine in a world that has been shaken like a snow globe.
Hang in there. Better times ahead if we all work together to make it happen.