Gathering our household trash from all the wastebaskets around the house (there are nine of them), taking it all out to the wheeled trash bins, and pushing them out into the alley before trash pickup on Friday morning used to be my husband’s household chore. Then the pandemic came, and life as we know it changed. Now I’m working from home, and the gathering of household trash has become a joint effort on Thursday evening.

Most of the time, I struggle to know what day of the week it is, but when Thursday rolls around, I know our routine. He holds the plastic bag, and I’m the dumper. This activity takes us all of ten minutes, yet it is somewhat grounding to have a ritual, and one that often leaves us laughing about the crazy stuff we see in our trash.

In uncertain times, having a routine, even when it’s as mundane as trash day, can offer a sense of grounding when everything else seems to be changing. And sharing a laugh with a loved one while engaging in the routine reminds us that we’re not alone. Rituals as ordinary as this one have the power to steady us when life is shaky.