April 25, 2020 … Saturday … Day 918,245 of quarantining
“We’re all in this together.”
Yeah – I know. How many times have you heard that this month? This week? TODAY?
A lot. Just yesterday I saw a “BINGO” game on FB that you could play while watching TV … and you could fill in a space every time a commercial came on that used the words … challenging, trying, unprecedented or uncertain times … or safety, distance, apart or simply … we’re all in this together.
I won 12 times in an hour. It wasn’t fun after that!
So, I went outside and sat on my front porch steps to listen to Mom Nature and see what I could see/smell/feel. It was a lovely day … soft, springtime breezes scented the air with the blooming lilacs and wisteria that were hanging over the picket fence … birds were chirping … the tulips were open and happy … people walked by with their masks on. Yep … just another ordinary day of Covid quarantining.
I have a new subscription to “Smithsonian” magazine. How did I live so long without it? It’s fabulous! I’m forcing myself to read things I usually would not. My covid promise to myself is to educate and enlighten. (And exercise but I fell off that bandwagon early on!) So, yesterday, while sitting on said porch steps, drinking my tea and reading about a retired Thoroughbred farm in Kentucky and viticulture in the desert of Israel, I realized that not only was I enjoying the articles but I was loving the ads.
I read slowly because I’m a word person. I read and savor. I roll some words around in my mouth like printed marbles. I say them out loud. I sometimes replace them (the editor in me). I like the ebb and flow – as mesmerizing as watching waves on a tropical beach … and love how words are strung together – like pearls on a long necklace. They are jewelry in print. I’ve always been a glitter girl … anything sparkly, pretty, glitzy, glam … that’s me. No one would ever know that about me from my unpolished nails and yoga pants … but that’s me. Inside. With words.
So, as I was reading I’d catch snippets of loveliness and could feel my body relaxing. Lean in to it, they whispered. It’s all good, they suggested. Whomever put these pages together did a great job because after our fearless leader suggested people get injected with disinfectant to clean themselves as a cure for Covid … I was feeling a bit rattled, unnerved, upset, disgusted … (Need I go on?). Anyway – the words were soothing … soul balm in print.
I opened up the magazine anew and leafed through it … concentrating only on the wording of the ads and articles. I was being caressed by the words. I sat out there for about an hour, paging through and being comforted by this magazine. I could transport myself to Kentucky or Israel or England in the articles … but for a few moments I was on my front porch steps just being. It was lovely. And calming. And I thought of all the people in the world, who due to this virus, are forced to be still. Slow down. Relax. Chill. Breathe.
I feel Mom Nature is doing the same thing. I can almost feel the whole earth taking in a huge breath and letting out a contented sigh. I sound goopy when I say this (especially out loud/in print) but I think the Earth needed this. As horrible as it has been for millions of people … and the deaths and financial upheavals and everything … I think the Earth needed this time to just be. As we all do. And I hope we all take a step back and realize that life doesn’t have to be hurried and crazy – all the time. That it’s okay to slow down a bit … sit, read, rest, be … from time to time. Walk. Bike. Get outside. Bask in some sunshine. It’s okay. Let some lightness in.
It is what it is. It’s a weird time. But, sickness aside, you have the opportunity to have it be as good or as bad as you are wanting to make it.
I scanned the pages gathering words just as I had collected the lilacs earlier – with joy and abandon … support, special, relevance, earth optimism, restore. treasure, create, paradise, warm thoughts.
There were ads that suggested international sights without international flights … come visit the coast when the coast is clear … recharge/life’s essentials here (Costa Rica) … a future where we don’t have to worry about the future. It all sounded so good … like a warm milk bath – but with some candles and maybe a brandy on the side.
I realized my breathing slowed (who needs yoga?!) and I was taking in the air and scents and words that were all so comforting at this time that is uncertain, trying, unprecedented and challenging.
So, do something simple. Breathe deeply. Read something. Rest. Get some air. But stay safe/wear your mask/stay away/stay okay. And keep in mind … though we are apart – the distance is for our safety. Everyone’s safety.
And remember, we’re all in this together.