You know you are at a slower pace of life when the highlight of your day is the trip to the grocery store!

For over a year now, lockdowns have been a regular part of life in Turkey. "Madame Covid," as some of our local friends like to refer to her, has drastically changed everything. Weekend lockdowns, holiday lockdowns, longer lockdowns, shorter lockdowns, quarantines, curfews for kids and elderly, curfews for everyone--these are all standard fare.

Recently, towards the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Turkey instated a 17 day lockdown across the country. With the exception of essential trips to the market or the doctor, we were supposed to stay home. I have to admit, with our friends in the West posting about starting back into normal life, mask requirements lifting, and fully-vaccinated freedom, the temptation to heave a sigh and complain was quite strong. But in the interest of staying thankful, I've tried to think through some "gifts" in life that have either come about as a result of these lockdowns or that I have come to appreciate more because of them.

1) The gift of slowing down

Some of my friends have described lockdowns as "forced breaks." As humans we desire to work, and this is a good thing. But like all good things, when taken to an extreme it can become a bad thing. Unfortunately, too often "rest" is not part of our vocabulary, but being forced to stop with these lockdowns has helped me have some perspective on just how frantic a pace "normal" life used to be. Consequently it's helped me appreciate a slower pace of life. Whether that’s having more time to try my hand at some potted plants or just enjoying my daily walks across the canal to the grocery store, I have enjoyed the gift of slowing down.

2) The gift of cooking

For most of my life cooking felt like a chore, a necessary evil, something I had to do. I think part of this might have been because of the busy pace of life mentioned above. However, the time, space, and energy gained through the forced breaks of the lockdowns has caused me to actually enjoy cooking! It's something I get to do. I've enjoyed watching a masterclass on cooking, trying new recipes, and cooking with Abla (in between lockdowns).

3) The gift of “Gez-ing”

Sometimes it's like the songwriter says, "You never know what you got 'til it's gone." Unlike the gifts of slowing down and cooking, this is a gift that I have come to value more this past year in its absence. The word "gezmek" in Turkish can encompass all sorts of ideas including exploring, wandering, going for a walk, looking around, discovering, etc. Leslie and I use it a lot in our mixed up "Turk-lish" language because there isn't really an English equivalent. Sometimes it can mean simply being outside, enjoying nature. And boy, after 17 days inside, I can truly say, what a gift that is! When I look at our blog and see pictures of all of the cool places we have had the opportunity to visit here in Turkey, it makes me thankful.

4) The gift of Community

Throughout my life I have heard over and over, "people are not meant to live in isolation." This past year has proven these words to be true for me and for many others I am sure. Though I am thankful for technology that has allowed me to stay connected to loved ones, I have felt keenly the absence of physical presence and contact with my friends and family here. The few and far between opportunities we have had to be together with our people have been made that much more precious by their rarity. I mean, what a gift to simply sit with friends over a meal or a cup of coffee without worrying about potential exposure...What a gift to hug a friend who is hurting...To hold the hand of an elderly person trying to cross the street...to greet your loved ones with hearty kisses on both cheeks...to enjoy endless cups of tea and a fresh bag of sunflower seeds with friends without worrying about making it home before curfew...And I come back around to realizing that even the ability to appreciate these things for what they are is, in itself, a gift.

The truth is, even in the middle of a pandemic and lockdowns, these are just a few of the gifts I have to be thankful for. Sometimes Leslie and I look at each other and ask "Will we ever go back to life without a pandemic?" And it can feel like the answer is no, and again that temptation to complain becomes strong. But however long this lasts, I want to stay thankful for the good gifts I do have--because they are many.