This colorful photo bursts with anticipation. It was taken just moments before our first group Thanksgiving dinner in two years. We were having a small gathering of our son and daughter in law, who got married during Covid, and her parents, who we were meeting for the first time. It was pre-Omicron, and — we’d hoped — post major Covid. Everyone was vaxx’d and boosted. We felt comfortable partaking in a careful, small-group setting. We cooked together, and ate, and shared stories, and laughed. It was simple, and seemed like old times. Here we are, one month later, facing the bleak winter months in another potential lockdown. We’re not sharing anymore, and can’t invite anyone in, it seems. Dr. Fauci says to stay away. Plans are falling apart. Though we have learned a few things, we’re back to Covid protocols. No hugging. No gathering. No nothing. Ugly masks. We try to find time every day to walk outdoors in the winter cold. Other than that, we’re inside, on our own, on our devices, conducting lives through phones and mail. Here we go again. How do we attach meaning to sitting indoors? Where do we find beauty? I’ll have to get back to you on that.
January 6, 2022
This week is election week, and we all know that the nation views this as something that is monumentally important, quite possibly the most important election in history. The pandemic has not caused the United States to act in a sort of way where they would lose sight of that fact. For that reason, the pandemic has not really affected me as much as previous weeks. I was still able to vote while keeping safety regulations in mind and going about my day the same way I would any other day. The election is at the forefront of everybody's mind, which has momentarily replaced the stress of the pandemic as well. There is still stress, yet it feels good to feel alleviated of a worldwide burden, and focus on something that is so important to our nation and the world.
November 5, 2020