Thoughts, as the lock-down continues...

Poetry month has come and gone, and so as has almost everything else…except Netflix and Amazon deliveries. I am finding during this quiet time that I am learning which things I like in my life, and which things I don’t. Whether I will gather the willingness to do something about these new insights when the world restores to normalcy, we shall see. But it feels like a gift. I don’t mind at all not having to run out the door in the morning properly dressed and groomed…I prefer staying in my robe and slippers till, oh, noon or so…

I’m discovering too, that I have to somehow be selective about what I let into my consciousness at this point…I can keep up to date on the news, the facts necessary to know about the virus, and the basic information re world events. I realize that as an individual, there is not much I can do to change the direction of things. I can follow the rules, treasure the moments of contact with my loved ones and dear friends, and hope for the best.

Much of the news of course, is heart-breaking…Some of it is overwhelmingly political - even the virus updates themselves - and it’s easy to over-dose. So I’m proceeding with caution. Most of the time the news channels I watch are at rest behind a black screen. Sometimes I turn the picture on but the sound off, then if something pops up that looks important, I can tune in.

I’m finding that the saddest news updates that come, in a more personal way…the honoring of individuals at the ends of some of the programs I watch…who have lost their lives during this time…brings me to tears. They are strangers, but their loss feels so personal. I feel it in a very personal way. I think about the things still undone in their lives. It has made me realize how precious life is - not just mine, but everyone’s. The tears come as I hear the names, see the faces, hear stories of those lives lived, those good deeds done. Maybe somehow this time will teach us all to treat one another in a more loving way, across international borderlines, across political borderlines.

That’s about it, for today… porch-sitting time is approaching, the wine and dog-biscuit hour…