It has been a rough couple of years for all of us. We’ve struggled with isolation, with virus anxiety, with uncertainty, with being away from family. For those of us who work in healthcare, the pressure has been extraordinary and the exhaustion, even now, is profound.

So many days we have felt as if we’ve gotten up in the morning without actually having slept, as if all the energy we can muster goes into putting one foot in front of the other. I feel as if, in some ways, we’ve been in a state of suspended animation, going through the motions, doing what has to be done but setting, as they say, “all the feels” aside.

This week we have the gift of having two of our grandchildren with us for the week. They are just 9 and almost 7 and “sleepovers” have long been a custom and a treat. This week is a full week of “grandparent camp” and we have lots planned for them, and for us, to do.

Today we took them to the theatre, a joy of living close to New York City. I listened to this often serious 9 year old laughing so hard as he watched the genie’s antics in Aladdin and I treasured every minute of our sweet almost 7 year old snuggling her head against my shoulder.

As I sat there, I realized that it was time to reclaim the joy in my life. It’s time to give the ever-present worries a rest, knowing that they’ll be there waiting for me but that there are moments when I can set them aside. I realized that it was time to let my heart lead and my head follow, to appreciate and treasure the moment and to savor the joy. Time for me, perhaps for you too, to refill my full heart and rejoice in the opportunity to do just that.