For the visually impaired and those looking to relax their eyes. Listen to me recite the following blog post.

Sadly, the stay-at-home order was extended this week to go till the end of May, for Illinois and the rest of the U.S. And if you believe in astrology, tonight Pluto goes retrograde until October 4, 2020. So it has not been a good news week overall.

What else made it a bad news week? Well a friend of mine told me about their awful experience at the workplace they are leaving. Yes, they are leaving, they did not get fired. You hear of so many layoffs going on right now, but someone leaving? It’s a pretty sick story. Here’s the story:

Golden Parachute, Or Golden Anvil?

It had been bad there for quite some time, but the way Coronavirus has impacted the company’s business, employees are being pushed to leave with bullying and other negative tactics from managers and supervisors in order to drive employees to breaking points. What’s worse, those who have taken the golden parachute option have to have their last two weeks deemed satisfactorily performed in order for them to even get that golden parachute of 6 weeks pay. And if you can guess, those employees are having a hell of a last two weeks at the company. Upped workloads to unrealistic levels; every little thing critiqued even if there is nothing wrong; the list goes on. My friend said people are starting to realize that they probably won’t get the golden parachute. It made me sick hearing this story, of employees being purposefully stiffed and abused during a pandemic. So my friend is really not feeling very well because they have a family to support like we do. No job lined up, has to apply for health insurance through healthcare.gov. So they’re just trying to take things easy as best they can, job hunting, spending wisely, and staying grounded. I don’t think I’ve seen any story like this reported in the news, it’s suprising and the ordeal my friend and their colleagues are going through is heartbreaking and infuriating. It would seem that the pandemic is bringing out the best and worst in people.

Finding Peace

I read this really great quote from an LA Times journalist named Marisa Gerber:

“When the world feels especially chaotic, we crave tools that help us change the one thing we can control—ourselves.

“It’s the inner path,” a religious studies professor told me. “How can I be a place of peace?””

— Marisa Gerber (from her article in the LA Times called, The Enneagram is having a moment. You can thank millennials)

It rang so true when I read it because it explains why I’m not only checking the news and the weather forecast during shelter-in-place. No one knows what the future holds, but wouldn’t it be cool if all the answers lied in the stars? And so I started following the Instagram account that shared that image above: https://www.instagram.com/magicalrecipesonline.

I take the info with a grain of salt like any piece of information, but I’ve got to admit that it makes me feel better. It’s hippie dippie, but a little of that isn’t bad. When I was little my place of peace was my family. It is still that for me, but too much of a good thing can go sour. My husband and I are struggling to have couple time because our daughter doesn’t like to do naps on a schedule anymore; instead she’ll fall asleep on the sofa once a day, usually while we’re making dinner (perfect, right?). She has all this energy that needs to get out, but we can’t go to Gymboree or SkyZone; she can’t come grocery shopping with me (nor would I want her to right now); all we can do is take her out on long walks, fly our kite, play with chalk, chasing her around the house, etc. The only me-time I can find is when I’m sleeping, when Geoff and I switch off watching her (and I don’t need to do client work), and when I go out to get provisions. Every mom is in this boat, and boy oh boy does it feel like we’re going to hit an iceberg sometimes. Just gotta remember Jack’s philosophy (you know the one I mean: Titanic (1997) anyone?) when that feeling of inertia hits.

I’m lucky that I married a Jack—someone who can pull me back from falling, someone I can survive a shipwreck with. It’s so much easier going through life with someone who cares about you, it’s even more easier to get through a pandemic with someone who knows what you need.

The bad news and the restrictions on our lives are testing us, but something that tests us can also transform us for the better and can be healing. My hope is that every aspect of modern life changes for the better when this is all over. It’s felt like the world has been in a retrograde for 6 weeks already, but here’s the bright side to a Pluto retrograde: it’s the perfect time for overcoming.

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

Helen Keller

This is a really cool article that tells you how the Pluto retrograde will effect your sign. But I really like this article from Refinery29 called, Pluto Is In Retrograde, & It’s Time To Reflect; maybe that’s why there are so many of us chronicling our lives on our blogs, social media, and our physical journals and diaries. Just remember that too much reflection does more harm than good. It’s very easy to get lost in your feelings.

Overcoming anything takes time. Overcoming an addiction, overcoming loss, overcoming hurt…overcoming fear. But if you believe in the infinite potential of the human spirit, then you know it can overcome almost anything. Living things have made it this far, haven’t we?

“The biggest lesson for me this year has been ‘just keep going.’ Lost everything? Just keep going. Don’t know what you’re doing? Just keep going. $0.88 in the bank? Just keep going. People played you? Just keep going. No Obstacle has been able to crush me. I keep going.”

— Asamoah Evans

Until next time. Stay safe and starry-eyed out there moms.

You can follow me on social media for all the latest vetted updates on Coronavirus and Tinley Park. Here’s the link to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tinleyparkmom/

Tinley Park Businesses

Small businesses are a vital part of the economy. Here are links to a directory of local Tinley Park businesses that are still open during this time:

Tinley Park Business Directory
Tinley Park Takeout and Curbside Pick-up Restaurants

Also, my business is offering free 30-minute consultations until things get back to normal and businesses can reopen. If you know a business that needs help with their marketing, like getting their e-commerce site set up, figuring out technical stuff, etc. my agency Geoffresh Inc. – SEO Web Design can help. We are offering one 30 minute free virtual consultation to each business that contacts us during this pandemic to help. If the quarantine is prolonged, we will be extending this. It can be the smallest thing or the biggest thing someone needs help with. Please share this photo and our business link geoffresh.com with anyone you know who could use some help. Time slots are filling up quickly.

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