Hope

December 11, 2020   Today is a Friday, the best day of the week!  I've always liked Fridays, especially when I was holding a job while raising my two children.  We had two whole days where I could spend time with them. 

 

Sometimes we went to the movies.  Sometimes the City Zoo in summer  when it was all outdoors and people sat on the grass around the pond in the middle of the park and threw bread crumbs to the ducks. 

 

And sometimes on a Saturday morning we had breakfast at the Farmers' Market.  Back then it was still the original ramshackle building and attracted different people for a cheap meal. 

 

Time for a lesson for my kids in not staring at toothless people in torn clothing.  And understanding that not everyone had a warm home like we did, and even slept on the chilly streets at night.

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These weeks before Christmas this year I tend to be nostalgic.  More than other years as I am alone and have gobs of time to reminisce.  My daughter pops in two or three times a month and my grandson spends one day a week here to break up his at-home schooling. 

 

He continues his laptop homework while I make his favorite lunch of Black Forest ham sandwich with mayonnaise, a touch of mustard, and lettuce on wheat bread.  His instructions!  I give him attention and hugs with a kiss on the top of his fourteen-year-old curly head. 

 

We don't overdo the closeness, but a little bit we both need.  The pandemic is still raging and, so far, no one in our little five person family has gotten sick.  We are careful when out of our houses, always masked and keeping our distance from others.  And we are grateful for our wellbeing, so far so good.

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Daily life is so different now for everyone and people long for what has been lost.  And we all hope that the losses are temporary.  We yearn for kindness in our daily lives.  We ache for security in our neighborhoods, and stability in our government. 

 

We are not lost yet as a nation, a mixed immigrant culture, an experimental society.  Not as long as we yearn for kindness, security, and stability.  As long as we want these qualities for ourselves and everyone else in this nation, there is hope for us.  

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We want our weekends back for family get togethers, for funny movies in packed theaters, for big breakfasts out, for hugs and kisses.  We still have hope.

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Laine

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