The last time I saw the inside of a gym was exactly a month ago. On March 14, the after I arrived from Myrtle Beach, I worked out at an Anytime Fitness in Spokane. Later that weekend, Governor Inslee issued a stay home order and all gyms in the state closed.

It has been hard adjusting to no gym access. After doing something consistently on a daily basis for 20 years, it stings a little to no longer have the option. Yes, I am making the best of it by finding alternative ways to exercise but it still isn’t the same. Working out at a gym isn’t solely a physical experience; it is a social one too.

My calluses have healed, my muscle mass has decreased, and my gym towels remain folded and unused. There is no way of telling when I will be able to pump iron or run on the treadmill again. But if I find myself dwelling on not having a gym to go to, I remind myself that most people in this country have to deal with actual devastating COVID-19 impacts like job loss, financial hardship, and/or serious health issues.

OR, I think about what hurts more personally than not going to the gym…

Not seeing my family.

Yesterday was the one-month mark since I last saw my wife, toddler, and newborn. I said goodbye to my trio on March 13 and have missed them every day since. This virus has pushed back when I will see them again from this Thursday to the beginning of next month. For a family guy like myself, being away from them pains me much more than the loss of any physical strength.

But I am blessed that this is the greatest hardship I have had to endure in relation to this terrible pandemic and am so thankful for the modern marvel of FaceTime. We will be together soon.

As most of us now have 30 days under our belts of strict social distancing, it is a thoughtful exercise to look back and realize all that we have taken for granted––both big and small. Although we might not come out of this physically stronger, let’s hope we do at least mentally. Don’t Blink.