A Day Without COVID
Sometimes I am jealous of my critters- free to run, play, and live without worry or fear. Animals don’t know or care about COVID. I’d like one day to not know or care about COVID.
The past 11 months have been a whirlwind. Loved ones, jobs, experiences, and time were lost this year. It feels as though a lifetime has passed since the last holiday season. People battled illness alone. Others dealt with grief in isolation. Babies were born, and have yet to meet their grandparents. We lost a little bit of humanness this year- the ability to touch, to feel, to speak in person- but we also recognized the importance of it. While thankful for the connections that have been sustained through technology, it is just not the same. We are not meant to exist through screens.
As the last month of 2020 begins, I reflect on what I would do if I had one day without COVID. Just one day to not worry about catching or transmitting the virus. One day to go somewhere without a mask. One day to hug loved ones without some hesitation. We may try to go through life as normal as possible, determined to not let the virus win. At the end of the day, however, there still exists a strange haze over the year 2020.
If I had one day without COVID….
I would visit my 91-year-old grandmother whom I have not seen in almost a year. I would have a family get together and enjoy my in-laws being able to attend. I would go to work, physically, and meet new colleagues in person instead of through zoom. I might go to a movie. I would listen to live music and dance. And I would do it all without fear or hesitation and with an immense feeling of gratitude for the simple pleasures life offers. But I would also continue to engage in the new activities and routines that have emerged in my life as a result of COVID.
This year has provided a book of lessons on life. The one lesson that emanates most prominently to me is to be thankful for each breath we breathe, each step we take, and each little moment in life. 2020 forced us to slow down. While I know I am saying this from a place of blessings as my family and I have not experienced the detriments of many others, I am grateful for the slow down. Because of COVID I can cook breakfast for my children each morning. Because of COVID I am able to be more present with my family every day. Because of COVID I know what it feels like to really, physically, miss people.
I’d love one day (or more) without COVID, but even once normal returns I still plan to cook breakfast each morning, spend quality time at home with my family, and be intentional about engaging with friends and family. We will never get back time lost during 2020, but we can have a plan for how we spend our time going forward.
So as we enter the home stretch towards 2021, reflect on what you have lost and gained in 2020. Think about how this year has changed you for better or worse. And think, with happiness and gratitude, about what you will do on that day the clouds lift. I heard a sermon in church this weekend on being prepared for death. Christians live by the notion that we should always be prepared to meet our maker. But do we also prepare to live? Think of the things you would do in a day without COVID- and prepare to live your life from this vantage point regardless of some virus.
