Be brave. Be careful. Be hopeful. Go outside and yell, “I am back!” Yell it one
more time. Feel it.
In honor of what masks have done for us all, burn
a mask; then burn one more. Give thanks. Take another and tie it around a tree
that you will see every day. Remember masks are evidence that people are
putting others first. Find a reason to ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar. Make
something to share with a friend or two.
Imagine yourself at a party. You can see the
faces as you walk around and pass by different guests. Imagine them as everyone
you have missed. Then invite a friend over for coffee. Sit in chairs or on the
steps or on the grass in the sun.
Walk out your front door and keep walking. Listen
to nothing other than birds and your breathing. Turn off your thoughts. Don’t
just nod at people. Make a point to start greeting people you pass from this
day forward. Start with a small hello will. Even through a mask, words still
work. Ask them how they are, and care about their answers.
Enroll your dog in a doggie daycare class
once a week. They need to relearn things too, not just left to rely on old sniffed
note cards left on the grass or trees. Those afternoons while your dog is
out for class, take off and go have a drink at a small tavern or coffee shop. Bend
the rules. Sit on a stool at the bar and talk to the person serving you with
real talk. Tell them your name and learn theirs.
Who have you missed? Call each and every single person
on your list and check in on them, maybe invite them out for a walk.
Talk. Catch up. Share your experience. Find out what you do not know.
Smile and feel happy. Replace news with music. Fill your space with music. Fill
your life back up.
Become a regular at a local farmers market. Buy
flowers for your table and while you are at it, plant something and care for
it. Include this nurture and appreciation in your new routine. Take long
soaking hot baths on occasion. The shower can wait. Make the weekend last a bit
longer. Prepare a room in your place where electronics are not
allowed. Make an appointment to go there often. No Media Monday’s. Phone-
free Fridays. You get to choose.
Step out on your porch or find a park, or a
bench somewhere, and drag a book that’s been sleeping over on the shelf along
for the ride. See the sun, feel the rain, enjoy what is now. It will take
persistent effort to break down the wall that has been growing between us.
Keep at it.
Be a beacon. Wash your hands. Trust each other. Don’t believe
the hype, you’ve already won. Now help someone else to win.
