Dear FlyLady,

I’ve been with you for so long I don’t remember when I started. Like so many, I’m not on top of all the habits. Yet recently I realized how much has been part of my life and routine for several years.

A few days ago, like today and every other day, I woke up. I got up, made my bed, swished and swiped the bathroom and got dressed to shoes. I went downstairs to my kitchen and before I did anything else, I swished and swiped my half bath, then washed my hands for 20 seconds before returning to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. After my breakfast, I cleaned up the kitchen and started the dishwasher. (I run my dishwasher in the morning and empty it before lunch.) Then I did my at home workout with Jonathan Roche and I was ready to get on with my day.

This morning routine is second nature to me. I don’t really think about it. But on that day I had a video call with my siblings. We are all home with the current stay-st-home orders in the different places we live. One of my sisters commented that she had changed out of her pjs for our call. It was 9:00 pm where she was. She commented that she was mostly watching tv and cooking and eating. I realized then that my life is pretty normal for me. True, I’m not going out to grocery shop or to my coffee get togethers or meetings. And I don’t have kids at home any more. My husband is working from home, but for the most part, my day to day routine feels normal. I don’t feel scared or unsettled. I get up at the same time and go to bed at the same time. Yes, I’m checking the news more often, but I’m also dancing in my kitchen a bit more when no one’s looking.

Thank you FlyLady for teaching me to take care of myself. Thank you for helping me learn the routines that help my household to seemingly run on autopilot. Thank you for allowing me to learn that it’s okay to love ourselves.

A grateful FlyBaby in California