As the weeks march (or creep, for those of you who have kids at home) by the wondering intensifies. I know “this too shall pass”. I know that we will get through this. Will the re-opening of our world be rocky or smooth, slow or quick? Who knows. We don’t know how things will look on the other side of this.
This is going to leave a mark. I guess what I’m feeling is that I don’t want this “Great Pause” to not leave a mark. I want to remember what it is teaching me;
1) What is most important on this earth are the people I love.
2) Kindness and vulnerability are what draw me like a moth to a flame, comfort me and make me feel that I am not alone and I want to BE this. I want to GIVE this.
3) Art is an expression of my soul
In this unprecedented moment of history art is one of the things that is carrying me through this wild time. There are also many, many hugs from my sweetheart, naps, walks, listening to podcasts, bouts of weeping (who doesn’t feel a little better after a good cry), spending endless hours on the phone with my people and of course, the aforementioned cocktail hour(s). My sister, a freshly minted crossfit coach, has been creating mind-blowing abs because what is saving her bacon right now is the physical exertion, relief and joy she gets from exercise. My parents are working in their yard, my mom, and many others, are sewing masks. My friend Tanna is baking and cooking gorgeous things because this fills her tank. Others of us are utterly captivated with that Tiger King (we don’t own a TV but I hear it’s a thing). In my neighborhood windows, sidewalks and fences are plastered in rainbows; our kids are bringing their wholehearted energy to making beauty, spreading hope and cheer.
In the poetic words of my friend Shannon: “This is like a f*cking rollercoaster. It’s up and down and you never know what is around the next corner”. We all feel like this.
We are really, really all in this together. This is hard and strange and disorienting and in it we see some surprising beauty too. For me, it is an awe and gratitude and deep affection for the essential workers who are out there making it possible for us to be home; the checkers at my Safeway and Trader Joe’s, the post office workers, the folks at Home Depot. I will never look at you the same way. Thank you.
We are all feeling it in different ways. How are you doing? Where do you turn for comfort? I would love to connect with you. I will be here in my pajamas……