At a time like this. At a time like this, when we are asked to change our habits, the way we work, the way we engage with our cities, our health, our families, our friends and neighbours. It is the time to take stock and reevaluate what is most important. Four words come to mind for me.
Grateful
Nourish
Community
Love
Grateful because we have a health care system that is being tested to its limits, so we stay inside. Grateful that there are humans at that front line who risk their lives and their families lives to save someone we love.
Nourish because we are released from the rigour of our everyday and now there is time, time to cook, time to watch, time to exercise. Nourish ourselves because the everyday depletes us, especially in Paris, especially when we are stuck in routines that push us to move from one thing to the next.
Community because every night at 20:00, we go to our balconies and clap for the front line workers of this pandemic. Community because we can strengthen our spirits through video calls, we are not alone.
Love because its why we exist. We stay at home to protect those we love, and those strangers who have families who love them. Love because we have the time to turn to our children and hug them at 11:14 in the morning.
Love because it will keep us going because there is an end to this confinement.
Love because we will hug and kiss again.
We will gather and sing together again. We will eat and drink together again.
So at this time, life is on hold. We are suspended until we can go out and do all the things we can’t do at the moment. One of those things is travel. This is our business. It’s why we go to work everyday. And now that is on hold. We look forward to the months ahead, when spring is here and we can make plans again. Because we will. We will travel again, get married, celebrate 50 years of love, drink wine and laugh over a huge table of cherished faces. We live for those days now. Those future days will be our light at the end of the tunnel.
Because we have the chance to be grateful for everything we do have, we can nourish our tired bodies and cherish the community we are a part of because at the end of the confinement we will be able to express our love face to face with those we missed, with those that make us feel alive, with those that we love.
