a·vail·a·ble
/əˈvāləb(ə)l/
obtainable, accessible, at one’s fingertips, within easy reach, handy, convenient, in stock, in season, on tap, at one’s disposal, yours for the taking
opposite~unavailable
At this stay-as-home season of life we are all concerned if essential items will be available. Whether you are masked walking through the empty aisles of your local grocer or sitting curbside waiting for your groceries to be loaded into the back of your car, you hope that what you need is available. Too long we have had easy access to whatever we needed whenever we needed it. This has certainly made us more aware of the chain of events it takes to keep our shelves stocked with what we consume. So availability has become more center in our minds.
As we all shelter in place and do our part to keep our distance we need to be aware of our own availability. Are we available to those who need us to reach out? Are we available to those who are right in our own space? It is easy to get so caught up in the news watching or the games on our phones that we don’t take the time to be available to others. This should not be a solitaire time for any of us. There is technology to connect us. Ron and I had a conversation about how we need to be available to each other. We have spent a good bit of our days on our individual iPads from watching YouTube, playing games and obsessively checking social media. So last night we decided to start cooking dinner together, sit at the table to eat and actually have a conversation face to face.
It seems silly to say that we can be unavailable even now. But we all need to be intentional about placing ourselves in easy reach so it is convenient for others to know we are there for them. Let’s not be the toilet paper in this Covid crisis. We don’t want others to see us as an empty shelf where we are unavailable to hear them. Today I am going to make a list of those I want to connect with at least once a month. Yesterday I had heart refrigerator magnets delivered to my aunts for they can be reminded how loved they are. What ways are you staying available? Please share your ideas so I can include them in my plan to be at other’s disposal even now.
In Him,
Joyful
4-17-20
That is a good idea to send your aunts heart magnets. I wrote 30 cards since this crisis began, many of the recipients are blog friends who requested one. Also to my friends and relatives in their 80s and 90s. Friends will celebrate my birthday soon with a Zoom meet up. I celebrate your idea of being available for others.
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