This is hard, seeing my family from a distance like this, hearing the kids playing but not being able to make the little girls chocolate milk and toast in my kitchen. This being apart from the people I love– and even some of the people I didn’t think I was too fond of after my three year stint on the Haines Borough Assembly– is… challenging. There was a time when I chose not to go to the grocery store, or even the brewery on Friday nights because I did not want to run into certain people. Then, I wished we didn’t all know each other so well in Haines. Now, I realize how lucky I am that anytime I’m at loose ends, all I have to do is go to the library or buy some cheese and I will end up having an often surprisingly meaningful conversation. I miss choir practice, swimming at the pool, and visiting Haines Assisted Living, and I even miss changing Betty’s cat litter with my grand daughters. I am taking social distancing seriously, and all of Haines must be, since we do not have any Covid-19 cases, and they continue to rise– slowly, but surely– in nearby Juneau. The mayor was on the radio this morning reminding everyone to stick with it a while longer. I’m all in. I stay home, except to walk on the beach (and lately ride my bike early in the morning). I have a mask, but mostly I wear a neck gaiter that I pull up over my nose. It makes my glasses fog up, but that’s life. This morning I also heard on the radio that I may walk outside with friends carefully, at ten to twenty feet depending on the pace (if we are jogging or cycling, make it twenty).
Which is why it was so nice to see my friend Teresa as she too was out in the sunshine, marching off the worry, and to shout back and forth for an hour through our bandito coverings.
I have also joined a local facebook group working to make the best of this situation and try three things each day to stay healthy: one physical, one that connects you to others, and one that helps you grow and change– in a good way. Yesterday’s theme was generating compassion. Jessica asked us each to move for one hour, while practicing self-compassion– to be nice to yourself and give yourself a pass for not being so perfect right now, you know? She said you could walk on the beach, run a trail, chop firewood, clean up the yard, or do Tai Chi in the kitchen.. “whatever”, but do it without asking too much of yourself. Then she said to try being as compassionate to someone else– in your house, your family, even on social media, reach out in a non-virus spreading way– and finally, to reflect on how this made you feel artfully, by taking a photo, or painting a picture, or writing a haiku or journal entry.
You should try it.
Here’s my favorite photo of my generating compassion day. My daughter sent it from Juneau of her dog Jeff, dressed up by home-pre-schoolers Molly and James. Sometimes you need to be your own super hero, and it is true that when that happens you can help someone else to be one too–
