Finding Gratitude in Our Beautiful City

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*Thank you to Farin Doran for this guest post about finding gratitude here in the Lowcountry during difficult times.

Let’s set the scene here…..

A family of four packs up their life in the north to head down south and live in the fabulous South Carolina.

They are ready to leave the cold. They are ready to have long walks on the beach. They are ready to have new adventures, to meet new people, and to create the exact life they have always wanted.

They pack their cars, and 10 hours later they pull up to their dream home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. They go to the beach, they meet new friends, they immerse themselves in the school. They start making lists of things they want to do and see here in their new town.

AND BOOM.

The virus bomb hit.

62 days into this “living my best life” lifestyle…..

And I am quarantined in a home with my husband, two kids, one dog, and two guinea pigs.

No adventures. No beach time. No exploring. No making new friends. No school. Even work is limited.

I thought about this situation a lot. I thought about it while sitting on my balcony, in my warm climate, facing palm trees and hearing the sounds of the night…..

And one word comes up….. GRATITUDE.

I am so GRATEFUL for what I DO have and where I am…

So in this situation – I will think not what this town can do for me.

But what can I do for this town?

My new town.

My home.

So –

You SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT.

I followed as many local businesses as I could and gave love, shared and left words of encouragement.

I joined local mom groups and gave tips.

I am buying from local carryout restaurants as much as I can. We are having donuts from different places in the morning and having dinner “out – but in” at least one night a week.

I bought things from local shops and some were so sweet to deliver.

I donated blood.

I worked at a medical facility and tried to give my time as much as I could to serve the community.

Before the stay-at-home order, I took my kids to a local Airbnb and we pet their goats (which was AMAZING and great anxiety relief).

My family has offered to volunteer at the local animal shelter and even looking to adopt to help clear the shelters.

We have biked our neighborhood, taken more walks than ever before, and are getting to know our neighborhood in the sweetest way.

As a family, we sit outside for dinner every night and we talk about all the things we are GRATEFUL for. Every night, my family hears mom say how she is so grateful to be “quarantined” in such a beautiful place.

My kids are seeing the other side of this city. They see it without the hustle and bustle, and people everywhere. And are getting to see Charleston for its true, natural beauty.

So no, it was ideal to come to this city and be shut in so quickly.

But, we are so grateful for being here. And we are making a bucket list of all the things we want to do when this is all over.

Grateful for this city. Grateful for the people here. Grateful for this site and the mommas who are coming together.

About the Author

Farin Doran is a Maryland native. She moved to the Charleston area after visiting on a whim. She fell in love, told her husband she wanted to live where she was happiest, so here she is! She is a married mom of two. She plays lacrosse and soccer, loves being outside, and loves exploring new places. She is a CT Technologist here at MUSC, runs the Inspire Her Podcast and is also a health and fitness coach.

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