Today I bought a new mask because it was kind of pretty. That would have been a weird sentence to read last year at this time. And I ran errands because we do that, despite the way things keep coming apart at the seams. As I pulled up to the second store...I was going through my list and some other mundane things in my head. When I got out of the car there was this loud noise that made me surface. The sound of violin played so beautifully out into the Target parking lot (of all places). It’s been so long since I heard live music I couldn’t place it right away. But people were stopping to listen. The man had a sign, he was just trying to make ends meet. But he stood there playing with such joy. And people were lining up to help. And I hate that people have to perform to eat, but the thing is I think he was helping us more than we were helping him. We forget that survival isn’t the only thing we need to feel alive. We need beauty and we need moments that stop us in our tracks and remind us to be grateful. And I am. Maybe especially this year. Because everything and everyone I miss is a blessing. And this year has been hard but it has shown us how important it is to appreciate what we have when we have it. It has made us look more closely at who we are. Together and apart. I am grateful for that. Business as usual wasn’t working, and we shouldn’t be desperate to go back. We should be taking stock. We should be remembering what is really important. Kindness, love, ordinary magic. Look for it everywhere. Bring it everywhere you go. Hold eachother closer, even if it’s from afar.
© Elizabeth McLaughlin | November 21, 2020
(Unsplash Photo)
