EVERYONE HAS A STORY - Week Twelve

HAWAII – WEEK #12

May 16th – May 22nd

ALL IT TAKES

The little one is becoming restless with the lack of socialization, and so are the adults. With the emergence of carefully planned, small gatherings, I noticed that all it takes is one. One person to talk with, play with, eat with, be with. Take two children, a pair of scissors, and a rake, and you have a party! Suddenly the world of play opens up, the sunshine soaks through to their bones, and they are expert at making fun happen with no toys, no television, no computers - just each other. Until last week, these two had never met, but with childlike ease, they are best friends in a matter of hours. Their ability to use what is available to create a make believe world in perfect harmony is an astounding feat.

I wish a world of harmony for all of us was that easy, but it will take some work. Like millions of others, I have been forced to be an observer for much of the last three months. As parents, we all encourage our children to “play nicely with one another.” What I observed in the beginning, the rush to help, the wonder of bringing an emotional balance to our otherwise materialistic world, has suddenly seemed to sour. People are getting anxious to return to their daily tasks and are tiring of their home environments, spouses and children. Online virtual play dates, meetings, and relationships are suffering and boredom is creating a weird moral compass.

My daughter called me in tears because she had gotten a very specific, sexually charged comment through her online yoga classes she teaches. While she is attempting to reinvent herself so that she has a steady stream of income for the future, others are tuning in for purposes other than exercise. I don’t think that she is alone, and online classes will soon become tainted. It’s one fallout I didn’t see coming, and my heart aches for my girl who is only trying to make a living. But we are just one family, a micro statistic of the global result of this pandemic. Every once in awhile I seriously doubt that I will be around to see any return to normalcy or a world without covered faces. It’s science fiction come to life, the world tilted off its axis so quickly, and while I would like to be around to see it regain a harmonious future like that expressed so easily by our children, I’m not so sure that will happen. Just today…that’s all I can do…be the best person I can be in my small orbit of family, friends and community. Wishing all of you good health and safe surroundings as we continue to navigate these choppy waters. I will be leaving Oahu soon, and taking “My Story” with me. We all have one…what is yours?

UPSIDE

1. I finished the first draft of my third novel, MIRACLE!

2. I was part of a privileged few non-locals, able to see Oahu and everything it has to offer in an undisturbed setting. No tourists, no crowds, just unspoiled hiking trails and beaches to explore and enjoy once the first two months of lockdown had passed.

3. I said it before – I am loved and appreciated by my children, niece, nephew, and great-niece. And that’s all that matters.