We just had a semi-normal Halloween. And Thanksgiving. Do we dare hope for a normal holiday season?

One of the few things that kept me sane is knowing this virus outbreak will not last forever. Life will return to normal and, for many of us, it will be a new normal as we emerge from hibernation having reflected on how we want to live our lives moving forward. Rather than putting pressure on myself to lose ten pounds or write a novel, I’m using this time to look ahead and to fantasize about all the things I’ll be grateful for, and all the ways I’ll show it, when all of this is over.

When all of this is over…

My children will have remembered how to play together

Life will be slower and more delicious

Mundane tasks and errands will seem like a joy

Fathers will have a greater appreciation for stay-at-home mothers

Mothers will have a greater appreciation for fathers who share the load

Going to the gym will be a privilege, not a chore

I will take a break from social media

I will not be afraid to watch the news

I will keep checking in on my friends

We will become more community-minded

We will thank every health-care worker we see

I will remember the elected officials who prioritized health and humanity, and those who didn’t

I will have a greater appreciation for the healing power of the outdoors

I will lock the door every night to protect the family, not the toilet paper

We will still play board games

We will still wash our hands. A lot

I will do a better job of supporting local businesses

There will be no more celebrity hand-washing videos

Hair regrowth, bushy eyebrows, ragged cuticles, and talon-like toenails will be socially acceptable

My dogs will have gained 20 pounds

My cats will be enormously relieved

Dinner out with friends will seem like the greatest joy

I will stop waking up anxious and fearful

I will stop going to sleep anxious and fearful

We will never again in our lifetime take human contact for granted

Real home-schoolers will exchange deservedly snarky emails about the rest of us

Anthony Hopkins will keep playing piano for his cat

Netflix will send out a search party for me

I will spend an hour at the library touching ALL THE BOOKS

I will spend an hour at the grocery store touching ALL THE FOOD

I will watch ALL THE LIVE SPORTS

I will end my very toxic relationship with Amazon Prime

Teachers will continue to have my undying respect and gratitude

I will stop turning away from strangers at the grocery store

Hand cream and counter wipes will finally be cheaper than the Hope Diamond

My husband will be sorry he did not allow me to adopt another dog

I will consume wine outside my house

I will stop feeling pressured to sing on my balcony

I never want to see another frozen pizza

My kids will remember how wonderful it was to have their parents all to themselves for days on end