We are in the middle of a global pandemic.
Everyday I wake up and cannot believe it is actually happening – millions of people in the US staying at home – all day – trying to watch kids, be a teacher, and maintain a job all during an uncertain economic season.
Sounds like a screenplay for a movie no one would want to see.
During this anxious time, I have been struggling to find joy and contentment. I find myself overwhelmed by the scope and scale of everything. How could things get even worse? How could there be another spike in the fall? Will we ever find normalcy again? How will life change post-pandemic? What blessings exist around me that would not have been otherwise?
Lots of questions.
But recently, a friend mentioned something I found interesting. A more compelling and thought provoking way to live through this. Noticing the nuance. That is to say, finding the special moments in each day that would have never been possible if this had not happened.
Maybe its a midday walk and conversation with your spouse. A long run to think about all the things you think about. Or an opportunity to watch your kids grow up and learn. If I could find a significant detail, a memorable moment each day – would that re-shape the anxiety I feel?
Maybe…
The image above is from a sidewalk down the street. I have walked past this concrete moment hundreds and hundreds of times. But, this time I was with the girls – giving Kelly a break. For some reason, I looked down and saw it. A perfectly captured leaf silhouette embedded into the sidewalk. How long has this been there? How could I have missed it?
It reminded my of Tadao Ando’s Vitra museum that cast a leaf into his trademark concrete walls. A gesture meant to preserve the memory of the existing tree cut down during construction. A reference to a time in the past preserved for an indeterminate future.
I look forward to walking past this sidewalk leaf in the not so distant future. Thinking about how thankful I am be be near our community, our friends, our way of living – never again taking life for granted and forgetting to notice the nuance all around us.
