So, there are these stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I can’t figure out if I’m in denial or acceptance. Either way, I’m probably a little too upbeat about this whole thing. For future reference, I’m talking about the COVID-19 mass-isolation of spring 2020… because I’m assuming it won’t be long before it’s just a vague memory of the distant past, and if I come back to read this particular post, I’ll wonder what on earth I meant by “this whole thing”. (Hmmmm. Based on this assumption, I’m clearly still in denial.)
Some of this is likely due to the fact I lean a bit toward the introvert side of things, and have daydreamy bookish tendencies. So maybe I’ve been a little slower to realize what I’m missing.
But as I’m going through my pictures, I’m a little shook by how much has changed… and how much I miss.
Hugging random mascots:
Book sales at our local mall, Clearspring Centre:
Squishing into a pew at the Chortitz Heritage Church with people I love, but don’t live with:
Freely and joyfully chatting with people we bump into at the Mennonite Heritage Village… with only a foot or two between us (not two metres):
Lingering in bookstores, like the Mennonitische Post:
Freely leaning in to see what the person next to me has discovered at an abandoned village site:
Packing into an overflowing housebarn in Neubergthal to hear Dr. Royden Loewen deliver a lecture:
Holding my nephew’s hand at Neuanlage:
Holding my niece on my lap at the Pioneer Days Parade:
This just reminds me of the joy of being free to be around other people. A joy that I know we’ll get to experience once again. So until then, I guess we’ll just save up our hugs.