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Quiet mornings of reading, schooling online and stealing away in what they’ve been calling “social distancing”.
This is our new, hopefully temporary, daily reality.
When I pause the flow of what has become the new, daily ‘normal’ I am speechless and words aren’t enough. I find myself absolutely dumbfounded at how our society has been so quickly brought to its knees by an unseen force that has travelled from afar; an entity so small, yet powerful enough to create panic, greed, and devastate giants of flesh, of currency and politics.
Yet, it has also turned our hearts back to the simplicity found in connecting with another, while letting go of false pretenses. When misfortune finds us as a whole, it turns out that there truly are helpers of kindness to be found. Hearts answer the unexpected call to rally hope, even in the most unexpected of places.
Why do we take for granted the things that deserve our gratitude the most? ‘Enjoy the little things in life, because someday you will look back and realize they were BIG things.’ Like being able to hug my best friend, instead of throwing her a package of toilet paper from 15 feet away, in an effort to ‘crush the curve’ but still let her know I love her.
We look up from our many screens and awake from an intangible realm, and open our doors so hungry for Mother Earth, like we had forgotten she was there; all the simple, everyday gifts that we take for granted. And while we are forced to slow down, and retreat to these simple blessings, she silently and gently heals.
While at first I found panic in the chaos of feeling like my life was out of my control, I have come to find a quiet joy, and a gratitude like I haven’t known since childhood.
Joni Mitchell crooned that, “Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone”. Turns out that we did know what we had, we just never figured that we’d come to lose it.
And so as we patiently wait, with creeds of hope, may we realize that what we are truly yearning for most, is the ability to physically embrace the people we love most, instead of losing ourselves in our online ‘presence’ of self-importance.
So, stay home, reflect on the things we have taken for granted and flatten the curve so that my friend doesn’t get a chance to use all of that toilet paper before I wrap her in the biggest, most obnoxious hug.
This is our new, hopefully temporary, daily reality.
When I pause the flow of what has become the new, daily ‘normal’ I am speechless and words aren’t enough. I find myself absolutely dumbfounded at how our society has been so quickly brought to its knees by an unseen force that has travelled from afar; an entity so small, yet powerful enough to create panic, greed, and devastate giants of flesh, of currency and politics.
Yet, it has also turned our hearts back to the simplicity found in connecting with another, while letting go of false pretenses. When misfortune finds us as a whole, it turns out that there truly are helpers of kindness to be found. Hearts answer the unexpected call to rally hope, even in the most unexpected of places.
Why do we take for granted the things that deserve our gratitude the most? ‘Enjoy the little things in life, because someday you will look back and realize they were BIG things.’ Like being able to hug my best friend, instead of throwing her a package of toilet paper from 15 feet away, in an effort to ‘crush the curve’ but still let her know I love her.
We look up from our many screens and awake from an intangible realm, and open our doors so hungry for Mother Earth, like we had forgotten she was there; all the simple, everyday gifts that we take for granted. And while we are forced to slow down, and retreat to these simple blessings, she silently and gently heals.
While at first I found panic in the chaos of feeling like my life was out of my control, I have come to find a quiet joy, and a gratitude like I haven’t known since childhood.
Joni Mitchell crooned that, “Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone”. Turns out that we did know what we had, we just never figured that we’d come to lose it.
And so as we patiently wait, with creeds of hope, may we realize that what we are truly yearning for most, is the ability to physically embrace the people we love most, instead of losing ourselves in our online ‘presence’ of self-importance.
So, stay home, reflect on the things we have taken for granted and flatten the curve so that my friend doesn’t get a chance to use all of that toilet paper before I wrap her in the biggest, most obnoxious hug.
Creator
Racheal Outram
Date
April 1st 2020
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This item was submitted on April 1, 2020 by Racheal Outram / racheal.outram@gmail.com using the form “Digital Submissions” on the site “Documenting COVID-19 in Niagara”: https://exhibits.library.brocku.ca/s/COVID-Niagara
Click here to view the collected data.