Day 44

April 24, 2020
Another Friday. Another still day. Another quiet afternoon. In world news there is little that is new. The updates to the coronavirus numbers I have been posting remain consistently depressing. Another 70,000 new cases, thousands of deaths, millions more suffering.  The world is suffering. We are all in this together.  Whether we are in the epicenter of the virus (New York) or living in a country of few cases (Greenland) the pandemic is in our hearts and minds. It's in the news. Inside social media. On all platforms it exists and seeps into our daily thoughts, conversations and even our dreams/nightmares. And no one knows when it will end.  So we continue calling on hopes and prayers to answer our queries and ease our concerns. Today I heard from a good friend, George, who lives in Henderson, Nevada, his sister Gail passed away after a short battle with bone cancer.
It seems death is all around us.  The world has become a macabre globe of pain and pestilence.   The word macabre comes from the French, who first used it to describe the universal power of death as la danse macabre. Known in English as the dance of death and in German as Totentanz.
It is quite apropos, as the French artistic allegory attests "no matter one's station in life the danse macabre unites us all.  Indeed we are all united in this dance. It is a fight for life and normalcy. We are all tired of sheltering at home. Tired of teaching and learning remotely. We are fighting for our freedom as much as we are fighting the pandemic. Early on the daily routines were helpful and the video chats and the work from home, but the novelty has worn off.  People are frustrated and anxious. Some are struggling to pay bills and waiting on stimulus checks. (Some checks were sent to people who died of Covid19 before they were sent to the living) Gig workers are struggling as work has dried up. Our economy is barely breathing and needs a respirator as much as the patients suffering from the virus that ravages the lunges and has killed nearly 190,000 people.
During this time one needs hope and love. Humans need something positive to cling to. I can say this...be present unto yourself, not the current events, but look inward to your soul, your body and be grateful.  If you are healthy, rejoice! If you are amidst family, rejoice! If you have food and shelter and a sound mind, rejoice! If you have not lost a loved one to this invisible death, then rejoice and see each day as a blessing. When you wake up, be mindful. Be aware as you make the coffee, smell the aroma. Pay attention to your body as you butter the toast or pour the juice. Be presently aware of the little things you do each day and take solace in the fact that you are alive and well.
During your day remember to take moments to be in the moment. Turn off the auto pilot and float in the ecstasy that is you now, alive and kicking!
Lyrics by Simple Minds...


What you gonna do when things go wrong?What you gonna do when it all cracks up?
What you gonna do when the love burns down?
What you gonna do when the flames go up?
Who is gonna come and turn the tide?
What's it gonna take to make a dream survive?
Who's got the touch to calm the storm inside?
Who's gonna save you?
Alive and kicking
Stay until your love is
Alive and kicking
Stay 'til your love is


Until your love is, alive