The end of July is upon us and unlike previous years when we could anticipate what September would bring, this year is different. We have no idea of what school will look like, when travel will once again be "safe," and when we can celebrate as before. This month Joan reflects on the necessity of exercising flexibility as we adapt to our changing environment, focusing on finding love and joy in new ways.

           Here's to chasing - and finding - miracles with all of you.

Joan, Katie and Meb       

          "Zoom: to move or travel very quickly; or in a camera to change smoothly from a long shot to a close up or vice versa." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Remember when things were that simple or when "zoom" was  a sound you made when playing with a child racing cars on the floor around you? How things have changed! Now, we Zoom meetings for work, we Zoom key events like baby showers, birthday parties, or a shared glass of wine. And with the capabilities of Zoom's first cousin live streaming, we can even be present at weddings and funerals. As amazing as this technology is, many of us are getting a little Zoomed-out.

           I laughed when I first began thinking about this definition of zoom, because pre-covid, I generally zoomed my way through life. Checking off this box, making time for that meeting, writing or paying bills into the wee hours of the night or morning, not to mention, flying thousands of miles each year - there was lots of zooming going on. In fact, my friends actually wrote a poem for my 50th birthday comparing me to Thing 1 and Thing 2 of Dr. Seuss fame, given all the hats I wore and "the places I would go and the people I would see." I was happy, albeit sometimes harried, in my frenetic pace. The admonition to "Be Present" was a goal not easily accomplished as there was too much to do and never enough time to do it.     

          Covid has changed that. With air travel curtailed and bans on groups of people socializing in person, we each have developed a new normal. Being Present comes much more easily. The demands on time and commitments still exist and some have gotten even more complicated with child care amid work responsibilities. Still, there is a new recognition that time spent with friends and family is a gift to be savored. Occasions and virtues we once took for granted have increased in value. We have a renewed sense of the importance of trust; no longer is it an esoteric goal, but a down-to-earth necessity. With covid we have to trust each other in the same way that we must be trustworthy in order to protect one another to stay safe and healthy. We have to appreciate those in our 'pod,' as we learn to celebrate their strengths and accept their foibles, as they must do with our own. Most importantly, we have to seek out new ways to connect and stay engaged, because connection drives our humanity.

          This message hit home this month with the wedding of our daughter. While the formal wedding planning began over a year ago, in reality she had been planning it since she was 4. Now it was real - there was an actual groom involved! Gowns for bride and bridesmaids, menus, invitations - all were in order, May 30th was to be the happy day, but that date came and went like so many other celebrations put on hold by the pandemic. But as Sheryl Sandberg  poignantly shared, "When Option A isn't available, kick the s*** out of Option B." So, instead of the 'cast of thousands' they had envisioned, the happy couple were married at the church they had selected with an audience of 14 immediate family members. Rather than feeling a sense of loss over all the festivities that had been planned, those of us present got to slow down, spend more time with each other, revel in the company of family, and do one thing really well. In the end, they knew, "The day was perfect." As bride and groom celebrated the importance of their commitment, the love they share was transmitted through the air waves connecting them to the live stream attendees across the country.
 

          If one of the lessons gained from this painful time is our increased ability to be flexible, and to find and celebrate love wherever and however we can, then we must also accept the blessings, the little miracles, that surround us wherever and whenever we can find them. (Joan)

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