We are now seven months in to the pandemic and life continues to be different and unsettled. I never expected the COVID-19 pandemic to still be the center of our lives, and yet….here we are. It is interesting to revisit the list I made on May 8 (almost 5 months ago) of things I miss, don’t miss, won’t miss and won’t forget. So many still ring true. Here is the original list, but updated for October 2020.
Pretty, NYC
WHAT I MISS
* traveling, Europe, beaches, summer
* not being afraid of crowds of people
* the certainty of making plans
* Broadway, theater, music shows, museums
* friends — so many are temporarily out of the city, have moved for good, or are busy with their own lives and situations
* care-free happiness
* hugs and kisses from friends, human contact
* human connection
* Fred’s (pre Barneys RIP), ABCV, Ralphs, Kappa Masa, pizza
* the ease and ability of running errands to get anything and everything — easier, but now stores and places have shortened hours and it’s more difficult than before
* having places to go
WHAT I DIDN’T THINK I WOULD MISS
* kids’ drop offs and pick ups — I realize I DON’T MISS THIS
* shuffling a bajillion kids around here and there, everywhere
* options and choices
* live sports
* taxis and horns and the hustle and the bustle
* crowded streets
* the old man runner in Central Park, the chicken truck man on my corner, the driver for the fancy neighbor — nonstranger strangers
* the subway
WHAT I DON’T MISS
* the subway
* schlepping
* FOMO
WHAT I WON’T MISS
* the difficulty of figuring out logistics without the subway
* feeling judged by others on my decisions on how to act or not act in this pandemic
* the phrase “the new normal”
* anxiety ordering groceries — no longer an issue
* creative, healthy, family friendly meals times three times seven times infiniti — no longer an issue
* the pit in my stomach every morning where I realize this is not a nightmare but a reality
* the questions, the unknowns, the inability to plan
* stranger’s looks of fear / hatred / concern as I pass by
* obsessively checking the nytimes and reading the headlines
* masks and gloves
* worrying about the future and realizing I have no control over it
* the inability to talk about anything other than COVID
WHAT I WON’T FORGET
* to SLOW down, to be home, to learn to be still
* that we are all going through this, and we all have a range of emotions and it’s difficult or challenging for ALL of us
* watching flowers and trees bloom from beginning to end — back in city, so no longer as big of a part
* my kids happiness wherever they are
* the friends that check in and call and support and love even from afar
* home is where the heart is — true true
* DNice — no longer applies
* Watching The Office every night with the family — no longer applies as completed during lockdown
