The definition of essential is completely necessary or part of the basic nature of something
Essential has become one of the iconic words of this new era we find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. It’s getting weary hearing all the little catch phrases of this season of our lives… pandemic, social distancing, essential workers, stimulus package.
I went into health care specifically because I saw it as essential 30 years ago when I was deciding what I want to be when I grow up. I wanted what I did every day to matter to someone else. I wanted to find satisfaction in helping others and feel that the hours I would spend away from my baby at that point would have a deeper meaning than a paycheck. I believe that everyone finds health care essential inherently, so it takes no stretch of the imagination to understand why I am still working nearly full time while so many others are not.
Some jobs are now considered essential that we thought of as just routine. It is good to find out that people who stock, buy, and scan our groceries are essential. I bet before this it was not seen by society at large as an essential role. On the other hand, roles that we would consider essential are apparently not considered so when something like this happens. Hairdressers, for instance. To most people that is a pretty essential part of our life. Getting our hair done, cut, colored would have been considered quite important – but we find ourselves setting new trends of long hair, gray hair, homemade hair. Our hairdressers are home and we feel they are essential. obviously no one really thinks having a hairdresser is essential, but when we reach a certain level of dishevelment we may then reconsider!
A bird pooped all over my car the other day. Not just a little bit either. It had to be more than one; I did hear a ruckus of seagulls outside so I think they were having a party over my car. I thought, oh I’ll just drive through the car wash on the way home. While it’s essential the bird poop doesn’t stay on the car, the car wash remains closed. Even though there is no physical contact between me and the guy who takes the money, his job is apparently not essential. Dang it!
So, I’ve been thinking about what is really, truly essential. Well we all know the hierarchy of needs – shelter, food, water, etc., etc. Maslow had a deep explanation of this very basic concept – if your basic needs are met, you can move on to a higher level of motivation. What are some essentials we may discover during this time?
I think what is essential, and what may be lacking in society as a whole, is large chunks of time together that has nothing to do with specific activities or expectations. Quantity of time over “quality” of time is not necessarily a negative thing. Boredom (or having all your essential needs met) is the catalyst for wildly creative ideas.
Being constantly entertained, running hither and yon daily to exhaustion, schedules, and meeting expectations are all highly over rated when it comes to what’s essential. Creativity, silly conversations, hugs, spending time in a book, feeling completely dependent on God’s mercy and provision, laughter. All those things pop into my head when I think about what we need to have a fulfilling life beyond the basic needs.
When our kids were 6 & 8 we moved a thousand miles away from all our family and friends and started a five year adventure living in Tucson, Arizona. We got to a dark, empty house in the middle of the night in the middle of the summer. We were dead tired. We could not for the life of us figure out how to turn the air conditioning on! We were really hungry. And I had to be at my new job the next morning!
We called the guy we bought the house from and got directions on the air situation. We ordered pizza I think and blew up air beds. We crashed with all four of us in the middle of the living room on deflating mattresses. All our basic needs met! When I got home from my first day of work those kids, who had almost no worldly belongings with them at the time, had dug through the few things we had in the car and found a blow up beach ball. They had played with that for hours, throwing it up the stairs, dropping it off the balcony, running back and forth, up and down. Of course they went swimming during those first few days as well, but with very little to do they found creative ways to have fun.
When we traveled the kids never had videos and technology in the car. They entertained themselves with ideas, games, coloring, and whatever else came to mind and they always had fun. The essentials are that. Creating your own fun. Enjoying the moments together.
My essentials are – a cup of hot coffee in the morning. Having about 30 minutes of peace and quiet, listening to devotionals, reading the bible, and catching up on the latest stuff that happened overnight. A delicious hot shower and a truly delicious purple smoothie every morning. Reading a book before bed. Listening to my husband and son chatter when I come home. Knowing they are healthy and praying for health, wealth and wisdom always! Those are my essentials! See, all my basic needs are met and it allows me to feel very creative!!
Blessings!