After another weekend goes by, we find again that we miss our friends. We miss creating an atmosphere in our home for friends to come over to eat, drink, talk, console, and be consoled. We miss the clatter of silverware and strangers’ voices at a restaurant on a Saturday night. We miss the beach with the smell of suntan lotion, surf, and music in the distance. We miss the mystery of a quiet library and wondering what people are reading or thinking about in such silence. We miss life and the freedom to come and go that we were all lucky enough to have known for our lifetime. We miss knowing that we can go somewhere even if we don’t want to go. We miss movie theater popcorn, a walk down Main Street, and an outdoor farmer’s market. We miss the hugs, the hand holding and embraces of everyday life. We miss the spontaneous gestures of a wink and a smile.
Although virtual, we are there for each other through these hard times and we are not going away but, most assuredly, one day this virus will. Surely, memories of past times will outlive this nasty virus and will carry us into the future. This is a time of challenge, unknowns, caution, and fear. In a world that is so unpredictable, we hold steady to our connections for we believe that human contact is what takes us out of ourselves and fulfills us at the same time. It is the search for our missing piece that makes us feel a part of something and hopefully gives us peace.
Saudade is a word of Portuguese origin which explains the feeling of loneliness, intense longing, and missing something or someone. This word suggests that love remains for those previous experiences and positive feelings that we had. It signifies both the happy feelings that we once had and the sad feelings for what we are missing. We remain hopeful that we will soon be able to enjoy the simple things that we now miss once again and, when we do, we will joyfully celebrate each day with gratitude. We share with you our feelings of sadness and joy and the optimism that happier days will return. In the meantime, keep joy in your heart and have courage for we are all in this together.
Today, we share with you a poem about these Covid times and a video to warm your heart.
A Covid Island We Are Not
No Person is an island
Although we are told to stay away
An interesting theory
We grow closer while we are apart every day,
The birds are still singing
So I will do my part
I will connect and reconnect
while keeping us all apart,
This is an opportunity for a
geographic shift
to grow closer to nature
our dogs and even wild hogs can be a lift,
You will know who your friends are
The meaning of owning a pet
What it feels like in the shower
How glorious it is to just feel wet,
Like the rain we knew of yesterday
As the sunrise clears our sorrow
No person is an island
We will certainly welcome another tomorrow
As Always, Be Kind, Look to the Future, and Embrace Hope
