I took the day off today to take my dad to a series of appointments and spend the rest of the time with my parents. It was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time because things started to feel normal again. I took them out to breakfast, and it was the first time we’ve eaten indoors at a restaurant in over 13 months. We had an amiable waiter who could not stop talking with my parents. He was talking so much I was not initially eating when they served our food because I felt rude to start eating when he was standing at our table and telling us all these stories. I was beginning to become slightly annoyed because I wanted to start eating, but then I saw how engaged in the conversation both of my parents were that I put my annoyance aside and instead enjoyed seeing my parents have a moment of normalcy after months of this pandemic.

Today also felt different because I completely ignored work. I love my job and have the habit of not unplugging even on my days off, but not worrying about work today felt refreshing. The bonus was just how productive I felt with personal and family matters. It would be a nightmare for me to spend an entire day doing nothing.