Pat Taub
Country Tranquility
This weekend I’m opening my country retreat, a little over an hour’s drive from Portland, Maine. My soul comes alive here. It can breathe here. I feel very fortunate to have this space. No car noises, only chirping birds and the wind whispering through the trees. Here’s an image of my garden coming to life.
A City Sighting
On a Portland walk a few weeks ago, I saw this bumper sticker, which made me smile.
COVID Insight, #1
Many of us are finding the quarantine has produced new thinking about how we live. I’ve become embarrassingly aware of how much I consume, particularly on clothes. My quarantine wardrobe has been reduced to baggy pants, T-shirts and cozy sweaters, while my other clothes are collecting dust. When the lockdown is lifted and I want to wear my out-and-about clothes, my ample wardrobe won’t need replenishing. Hence clothes shopping will be on the backburner post- lockdown. Sorry TJ Maxx, you’ve lost a faithful customer.
COVID has me questioning why I have so many clothes–ps, my closet is not quite this messy.
COVID Insight, #2
Recently I listened to a fascinating NPR segment of “On Point,” where the noted author and funeral director, Thomas Lynch, spoke poetically about death and how to create a meaningful funeral. He went on to muse about how COVID is impacting us, labeling our emotional distress as “collective grief.” I found this comforting because I didn’t have a clear way to identify what I’m experiencing. Applying how I’ve coped with past losses offers a promising path forward.
Zooming
A friend recently reported that she has “Zoom fatigue,” from all her Zoom calls. I get it, but this past week I was part of a very moving Zoom group call. Several friends and I produced a Zoom remembrance for a dear friend who is in her final days. She was too ill to watch the tape, but it proved healing for her family. We all felt better being able to do something of value at a time when so many of us feel helpless to reach out.
A Happy Image
A favorite image that I like to look at when feeling despondent is the Laughing Buddha. Here’s a Buddha photo I took when visiting a very beautiful Japanese garden in Delray Beach, Florida. I hope he lifts your spirits as well.
