Solidarity Sunday #2 – Family

“For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”

– Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

I hope you will forgive me, dear reader, for not posting this yesterday…Easter spent without family was rougher than I expected (especially as it was my daughter’s first Easter) but I’m hoping writing this today will help ease the pain. If only just a little.

Once upon a time, a different time, not this time,

Holidays were crammed with events.

Packed, chalk-full, whatever expression you prefer.

They were busy, always busy.

We ran here and there, never taking a breath.

It seemed all of our time was spent going from place to place.

I remember complaining about this, wishing for things to slow down

Looking at holidays as an exhausting time to get through,

Not to enjoy.

But then COVID hit and suddenly things did slow down.

No, scratch that. They stopped. They ground to a halt.

Everything. All our plans. 

Crossed out of calendars, postponed.

But this wasn’t what I wanted, was it? A perversion of my wish.

Now we have all the time in the world at home but, no, it isn’t what we want.

Aria is almost 3 months old, our first child.

It’s Easter, her first Easter.

But there are no visits to the grandparents planned – at least beyond a quick stop in a driveway.

No Easter outfits and family snuggles.

No watching her bigger cousins hunt for eggs.

This is her only first Easter, because firsts only happen once.

And it isn’t what we wanted.

You may be feeling something similar.

Wishing you could be surrounded by family, wishing you could feel the rush of the busy holiday season.

But, remember, there will be other Easters.

There will be other firsts.

We will be together again.

And in no time at all, you may find yourself wishing for things to slow down again.

Wishing for a break.

And when that happens we will look back at this time.

This time when we were forced to take a collective breath, to stay home, to self-isolate.

And wonder if it was so bad to be forced to stay home after all.

No, it’s not the worst thing. Far from it.

But it’s hard, and it’s sad, and sometimes it just sucks.

So maybe it was those busy holidays that really weren’t so bad.

Maybe the running around was fun, exhilarating even.

Maybe juggling time with all of our extended family and friends is the privilege we never recognized as such.

Maybe, when this is all over, we’ll see that.

Maybe.

But for now, in this moment, our love for eachother still remains strong. Our love for family.

And though we are far apart, our love transcends the distance. Because, as Diana Gabaldon wisely wrote, the speaking of love (and I would add physical demonstration of it) is unnecessary. For love is all.

And it is enough.

Give your families a big virtual hug this Easter weekend. It’ll tide them over until hugging in person is once more acceptable.

We will get through this. And, remember, Life is beautiful.

xo Erin