Birthdays and Quarantines

We all seem to fixate on the “big” birthdays- 13, 16, 18 21 then the 0’s. March 14, 2021 is one of my “big” birthdays. These milestones most often turn to reflecting on where we have been and what we still want to do. This is a birthday that would be a time to reflect in any year but this also happens to be a year since the world stopped spinning. Friday, March 13, 2020 was the day that President Trump declared a national emergency. That weekend schools announced they would not reopen on Monday. Businesses told employees to stay home whether they could work from home or not. The nation and the world reacted with fear and disbelief. We all had questions about what was next. Grocery store shelves were wiped out as we feared shortages. (And apparently Americans really panic at the possibility of running out of toilet paper!) 

Parks closed. Restaurants shuttered. We closed our doors to friends and neighbors and even family. We wondered what was next. We were told to give it a few weeks to “flatten the curve”. Those weeks turned into a year.

We feared being close, handshakes and hugs became major social faux pas.

Politics left us divided and scared

 The year became even more tumultuous with a political climate unlike anything I remember. We became afraid to speak to family and friends. We decamped to our own side. We feared repercussions from our jobs if we landed on the opposite side of colleagues or bosses. We became afraid that we were going to spread disease or disagreements. We walked with our heads down and masks covering our faces.

Parents around the world gained a new appreciation for teachers. 

The memes about home schooling made us laugh out loud.

This year also brought an amazing clarity about what is profoundly important. Who did we miss the most? We slowly expanded our bubbles to include the people we missed the most. Zoom calls became the norm as we had family get togethers where we created art together. We cooked with personal chefs and happy hours with friends. And most of us decided we had to live even if it involves some risk.

The lake home we bought 2 years earlier became our sanctuary to run away and forget the world. We traded hour long commutes for afternoon cocktail cruises after a long workday. Our family gathered after a month or so and we all could forget the world beyond. The lake property was our place to play and laugh and forget what was going on beyond. We did not turn to the television at night, instead we made s’mores by a fire pit. In the morning we savored quiet coffee as the sun rose.  The fresh air and sunshine renewed our souls and helped us have strength to return and carry on.

Everything seemed normal and just right when we were at the lake with our family or just the 2 of us. I thought before this year I knew what was most important but this birthday, at the end of this year, it has all become so much clearer. The saying goes Life is short, buy the lake house (or beach house or mountain house).

The real lesson is enjoy the now, enjoy the moment, savor the moments you collect memories with those around you.