Last night, as we were taking a neighborhood stroll after dinner, my husband talked about something he did on Wednesday morning. I answered, “you mean, yesterday?”

Time has taken on a different quality over the last few weeks. March seemed like the longest decade ever. For the first few days after declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, just a few short weeks ago, I felt an overwhelming dread before going to sleep each night: what would the morning bring? I feared the news of each morning, and since then, I’ve found myself needing not just social distance, but mental distance. I’ve drawn away from the onslaught of unfiltered news, choosing instead to focus my attention.

In a world that seems to be changing by the moment, I’ve had to find my own bearings, my new normal. We all have. I’ve felt short-circuited, somewhat, not feeling like I’ve been able to look forward, but I’ve come to realize that’s wrong. I have to look forward.

Life goes on, regardless of this pandemic. Birds still build nests for their young in the trees outside my door. Flowers still bloom. Nature marches forward toward summer days, despite the events that seemingly drag time down. There is still beauty in this world worth embracing; spending moments appreciating the good is never time wasted.

As I listen to this morning’s gentle rainfall through the open window in my living room, I know without a doubt that there are vegetables I need to plant when the rain stops. The grass will still grow — and need mowing. Unfortunately, pollen will still relentlessly attack my sinuses. There’s still work to be done, domestic duties surely don’t do themselves, and seasonal tasks that remind me warm weather is just around the corner.

With all the bad news smacking me in the face each time I allow it in, I have to remember the good. Carrying good with me is as important a defense against the horrors of the day as protection against illness. As I unpack my spring clothing and wash it for coming warm weather, I do it with the faith that the seasons will continue to change. When I sit down to sew a face mask, I am grateful for the skills I learned as a child and how that skill now serves me in this moment.

I’m thankful, too, for the small things we’ve done recently that have made this time easier to bear. For the ability to connect with friends and family electronically. For the strength to rise to challenges that would have mentally sideswiped me years ago. Even the simple acts of cleaning a side bedroom that had succumbed to being used for storage, not knowing my teacher husband would end up needing the space for teaching his students from home.

Even though my weight loss seems to be on hold, I also have faith that I’ll keep rolling with the punches; the habits I’ve formed over recent years are keeping me from totally forsaking my efforts. I’ve seen a fair amount of discussion online saying that people shouldn’t be worried about such things right now, and perhaps that’s true to a point. For me, though, reminding myself of where I’ve been and continuing to embrace those habits in tough times isn’t just about what I choose to put in my mouth; it’s keeping the faith that sooner or later, the issues that face us today will be behind us, and perhaps some of the skills and changes we’ve used in these moments will improve our lives.

Let’s keep walking in our neighborhoods and greeting our neighbors even after the need for social distance has passed. Let’s keep contributing to the greater good, even after sewing masks at home is no longer necessary; we should be looking for those opportunities all the time. Let’s keep embracing the discipline of working from home and appreciating our immediate surroundings. There’s good to be had if we look for it, as well as the good of looking beyond this time. Today is mine, and I have the choice of making it matter.