Would I be mistaken to say that the passing of time feels uneasy? Relationships, routines, and cues that once anchored me securely in my daily life are turned upside down…
As I was contemplating my intermittent feelings of melancholy caused by not being able to visit freely with my family and friends… a sunbeam pushed through the slats in the window shade near my desk. Light and shadows gently touched the wall and slid down to illuminate two pocket watches.
One pocket watch belonged to my maternal grandfather the other to my paternal grandfather. I felt as if I were being asked to take time to remember…
I gazed into the watch faces- one grandfather reminded me to be patient; my other grandfather reminded me to be careful. Words of wisdom were revealed through the time pieces. Feelings of urgency and the need to pay attention became more profound as I recalled that each man had experienced difficult, heart-breaking circumstances through the loss of spouses during the 1918 flu pandemic.
Their inspiration… held in the hands of time… will help to guide me and my loved ones out of harms way as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise.
I will take heed and encourage myself and my loved ones to remain patient.
I will continue to insist that my loved ones and I are careful to abide by safe social and health practices.
I will take time to remember the routines and cues that once anchored me securely in my daily life and vow to be resilient. I will maintain the belief that our lives will rebalance and, in that process, bring back what we now so desperately miss. When these difficult times come to an end… and life is turned right-side up again, I believe the resulting sense of peace will be cherished more strongly than ever before.
