Finding Respite in Lego

The pandemic has taken so much from all of us for over a year now. The most insidiuous things we've lost is not the small stuff like being able to hug a friend or even simply hear a cough without it sounding like a gunshot nor is it the big stuff like jobs, homes, and loved ones. No the most insidious thing is the invisible things we've lost, namely rest. Everyday is exhausting because everyday is the same day filled with stress and the anticipation of more bad news.

That's when my wife and I decided to pick up Lego as a pastime. It started with a Christmas gift last year; I got her a Steamboat Mickey set for us to build together. As we we're going through it we realized that we had been zoned out for hours totally calm and giggling as our creation started to take form.

There's something to be said about having a task that you can do with your hands and following directions that blocks everything else out. It's kind of like how cleaning up around the house can be therapeutic, but it's even better because you don't end up tired at the end of it. There's no exertion, no stenuous thought, no being idle, and no way to fail. As long as you follow the intructions as presented you will be successful and be rewarded with a toy!

Since then, we've been on a Lego shopping spree. We recently just finished our first huge build: the Disney Castle. Next week we'll be starting on a medieval blacksmith and Sesame Street there after.

At this rate, we're going to need to get a giant table to make a huge Lego city out of a la The Lego Movie. And honsetly, I've very ok with that idea.

These sets have added a new bit of variety to our weeks that was sorely missing. The've become and event in of themselves. And after working on them I feel more at ease and ready to tackle the upcoming week. I feel rested.