I think I can safely gather that most of us could never imagine what is going on right now. At the beginning of the new year, we all made our resolutions or un-resolutions, filled with the hope and excitement that a new year brings. The fresh start. The promises made to do better, eat better, be kinder, lose weight, read more, whatever it might be. We all started out this year with a sense of optimism.

But let’s face it, how many of us have not complained about the take out coffee being too muddy, (probably the bottom of the pot), or the rainy day on our day off that just ruined everything. The neighbor’s dog who is constantly barking, or the price of food. We can all find something that sets of that little “annoying!” button in our heads. Now, it all seems so trivial. Who cares! We don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, because the big stuff is so overpowering and scary.

The Quarantine

As we have been quarantining and practicing social distancing, so many things now come to light. We always knew we enjoyed the company of family and friends but now we know that we crave it! Humans are social beings and we need each other to live a full and healthy life. That has become crystal clear, starting with family. It has been extraordinarily painful for me not to be able to hug my kids and grandkids. FaceTiming and Zoom chats just don’t cut the mustard, although I have to say thank God for the ability to at least do that! We also meet on someone’s front lawn and probably scare the littlest ones with our masks. Still, no touching, hugging, kissing.. ugh! So very hard and so very strange!

Sad Times for Many

Sadly, so many have lost loved ones during this period. I also have experienced the loss of a dear cousin; a wonderful father, husband, grandfather and brother, friend to so many and so involved in his community. How can anyone even imagine the heartbreak of his beautiful wife and daughters?! His wife brought him to the hospital with a cough and 2 weeks later he had passed away. They never got to see him or hug him again because of the rules put in place because of this virus. How incredibly sad and painful!

Love, Love, Love!

As this Covid -19 pandemic continues, we have also been blessed with the birth of our sixth grandchild! Our beautiful little Mia Rosemary Moran arrived into this crazy, wonderful world on the morning of May 6th. Such a blessing and a joy! It was an extremely stressful and scary time for our daughter-in-law Liz, and our son, Matt and all of us for that matter. Definitely a difficult environment to be in when you are waiting for your baby to arrive and have to be in a hospital. Thankfully, everyone is home safe and sound and healthy and we are thrilled and in love with her!

The Silver Lining

As we, as individual states and as a nation, begin our slow slog back to some semblance of normalcy, I see a lot of good that has come from this. Our world has slowed down and we are able to see things that we maybe wouldn’t have noticed before. Nature seems to have taken a front seat as we all peer out our windows or take a walk for some fresh air. People have stepped up to the plate. Neighbors helping neighbors. The air is cleaner without all the cars, busses, and planes spewing fumes.https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/world/air-pollution-reduction-cities-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.htmlNo traffic and it’s certainly quieter. It’s like we have stepped back in time, just temporarily, but it seems like a good thing to me.

Our New Normal

I hope that when things get back to “normal” that we can all remember how tenuous our place in this world is. We are not supported by a government, a job, or the regular routine of commerce (although I know we certainly need it). We are supported by each other. Everything else can break down. The human spirit of kindness, caring , and love remains. So, let’s all make a resolution with hope and excitement for the “new normal”. Let’s try to continue to appreciate what we have, continue to support each other and be extra thankful for those we love. We are all in this together. We can do this together.

Wishing you health, happiness and gratitude, and lots and lots of hugs!!

Since beginning this blog, there have been more disturbing events, particularly in the murder of George Floyd. We need to learn to respect and care for each other. We cannot continue to be so fractured. We cannot perpetuate racism. We are all one family. Please be kind. We need each other. TOGETHER WE STAND. DIVIDED WE FALL.