As I was walking the other day, I got to thinking about the craziness going on in the world.

What really triggered my “this is crazy“ thought was my ability to leisurely walk across the street. You see, I live near a very busy 60 MPH road. A road that leads to a VERY busy casino. The only way we can go for a walk in our neighborhood is to cross this road…and it feels like a game of Frogger every time we have to run across.

Now, since the casino is closed, there is barely any traffic on this road. Before, it would normally take us about 5-10 minutes before it was safe to cross now if we have to wait for even one car it seems ‘busy.’

“This is not normal,” I thought while I stopped to snap a picture of the empty road.

For the duration of my walk, I started thinking about normal and what it looks like- at least what I thought it looked like.

As we go through this challenging time, I keep hearing the same comments repeated everywhere I go “I just can’t wait for things to get back to normal.”

In fact, I think I have uttered these exact same words more than a few times myself over the past few weeks.

The idea of ‘getting back to normal’ really got me thinking. And, to be honest, I am not exactly sure if the way we were living our lives was ‘normal.’

Over the past few months, the pollution has decreased so much that people in China are actually seeing blue skies for the first time in years. The canals of Venice are so clean that dolphins are swimming in them again. I heard that we are going to see new types of flowers bloom that have not bloomed in years because of the reduction of pollution and the richness in the soil.

People are home with their families spending time together, instead of being at the office 13,14, or 15 hours per day.

People are outside taking walks, smiling and waving at each other.

People are staying home, not because they are sick, but out of concern for others. We are putting our neighbors, loved ones, and even strangers before ourselves.

The ‘common’ person: healthcare workers, first responders, garbage carriers, postal employees, grocery store workers, gas station attendants, truck drivers…THESE are the people who are being recognized as essential to our lives…not the bazillionaires sitting in glass castles. WE are the essentials.

Children are writing messages of hope and kindness in chalk on driveways and cutting out paper hearts for windows.

There is a collective of love being spread throughout the world as we are finally understanding “we are all in this together.”

This is what I think I want ‘normal’ to look like.

I don’t think I want to go back to the normalness of greed, selfishness, broken systems, and the constant message of ‘not enough’.

Yes, there is a pandemic out there and people are losing their jobs, their money, and even their lives. I know this part can be scary, but this doesn’t have to be the only part we see.

When this is all over we will stand at a crossroads…a crossroads of what we want ‘normal’ to look like. Do we really want to go back to the way things used to be or are we ready to create our new normal?

Sure, I want to go back to the normalcy of consistency, routine, structure, and travel (oh how I am longing for a beach vacation!) But, the lesson we take away from this time will shape how we move forward in the future. Are we ready to create a new world of love, support, and wholeness?

Or, do we just want things to ‘go back to normal?’

Lisa Wyckoff is an Integrative Wellness Coach. She helps women step into their confidence, shift their mindset, discover their True Magnificence and learn to live a life of mental, emotional, physical and Spiritual Wholeness. You can read more articles, or find out about working with Lisa on lisawyckoff.com or follow her on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Matheus Frade.