Is It the Real Life?
I remember feeling strangely disconnected when I first shopped in a store again after months of sheltering in my house. Everyone was hidden behind a mask. Well, almost everyone. There were a few mask-less faces proudly declaring they cared for no one but themselves. But, mostly, I was in a small crowd of masked people doing something that a year before seemed routine.
Even now, fully-vaccinated, things aren't routine. Do I wear a mask even though it's not mandated anymore? Will I appear to be one of the unvaccinated if I don't wear one? I know that shouldn't bother me, but it does. Should I wear a mask because I could still pass the virus on to someone else? What to do?
Still, life has a way of "being" even when we have to live in a completely different way. The sun rose spectacularly May 23, 2021. I just had to look out the window to see it.
Little miracles come into your life unexpectedly. Like this little one. Born to Bella, the feral cat I've fostered since late March.
And, of course, when you live with a bunch of clowns, life is never dull.
So, life goes on. I'm now helping Bella Cat raise her baby. I have a newly retired husband at home still trying to find his way. My sister and I are making plans to finally spend some time together.
Yes, we lost thousands in the last year, and that is heartbreaking. But, we also had fewer cases of the flu because of the precautions most of us took. People helped one another. Voters turned out in mass in November to choose a leader who promised to and is, in fact, leading.
Life may never be the same. But, there were so many good things that came out of the last year along with the bad. If nothing else, we learned it's the little things that mean so much. Like a beautiful sunrise, a tuxedo kitten, the birds and wildlife in our own backyards, curling up with a good book, and the people we love.
That's what we need to focus on.