the ultimate journey
Before covid, my husband (Joe) and I were running around in, what felt like, separate directions. We weren’t in sync. We all lived under the same roof, but we were scattered and just hanging on. We were stuck, swimming in cobwebs. We had so many different things to deal with and things we weren’t dealing with that we didn’t have any peace in our minds. No calm. Looking back, it almost feels like we were in a constant state of fight or flight. Joe was working a ton - he teaches all over the world and is a hacker - and I was trying to finish a book. I got shingles in my eye and within a few months, it came back twice. The kids were busy in their own lives - meaning we had to drive around to various activities every day, not unlike most parents. But even though I knew most families operated this way, it felt like we barely had time to breathe. And it didn’t feel good. Winter set in and in early 2020 covid did, too. Our bustling lives, stopped. Everything stopped. Fearful of the unknown - the virus, when we’d be able to work again, and the kids’ education and social lives. But, with less running around and the to-do’s melting away, came more space and time. And slowly, we came together instead of individually and collectively falling further apart.
In the fall of covid 2020, Joe broke his foot in a celebratory trail birthday run. I received his text during a virtual personal training session. I stayed focused on my client, but for a second my mind freaked out because runners like Joe and I don’t function well without running. Oddly enough, he was disappointed but not depressed like I thought he’d be. Because of covid he couldn’t travel or really work at all. With no vaccines yet and the borders closed, he had a chunk of time to do absolutely nothing or anything he wanted to do, from the comfort of his home. So what did he do? He tinkered. He hacked for fun. He picked up meditation. He healed. He cooked. He taught our boys math and did some cool science projects with them. He made a pretty cool pizza compass, too!
Then, he got bored. My virtual business started picking up, I was studying a ton, and I was still doing back and forth editing on my book. The boys had discovered Minecraft, so they were consumed in their own fun. But Joe didn’t have anything going on. And when a hacker is bored, well… they need something to do. Luckily, just as vaccinations became available so did a cool project. Dan Reich, an engineer and entrepreneur, contacted Joe regarding a crypto wallet. He and his friend bought crypto and lost the password for the wallet. If you guess the password incorrectly too many times, the contents erase!?! Here is a more detailed explanation. Joe was hesitant to help because he liked doing nothing for a change. He was also skeptical of the project. Was this guy for real? But Joe had nothing else to do, so why not?
This project turned out to be the most fun and challenging project he’d had in quite a while. We were all still stuck at home, so it truly became a family effort to help Joe stay sane, inspired, and trusting of his skills through this process. The boys and I became his cheerleaders, sounding boards, and wells of calm. If we hadn’t been in covid, we wouldn’t have had time to show up for Joe. But because life had slowed down so much, we were able to truly be present for him.
So, did he do it? Did he help Dan? Did he Free Theta?! Check it out: The Verge article. Watch the video because it’s awesome and fun!
This is a beautiful example of having your pack. Your community. It’s also a great example of mental wellness and the power of meditation. Get your pack, free your mind, welcome positivity, breathe, and lead your life with love and light.
