We'll Meet Again

 

Photo by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash 

The song We'll Meet Again was released in 1939 during World War II as soldiers were marching off to war, not knowing when they would see their loved ones again.

     Our company announced on Friday that we would be working remotely for the unforeseeable future due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I watched my colleagues each head out saying "Good-bye, see you...soon." It was an eerie feeling knowing that none of us could say when things would be "normal" again. We don't know when we can all be together again. I adore my co-workers and they will be missed. They bring joy into my daily life.

     As I write this, restaurants and stores are starting to close. Schools are closed. This has slowly been escalating over the last few months. In the last two weeks, our daily routines have changed in a way that generations from baby-boomers all the way to Gen-Z have never had to deal with.

     People have been hoarding products and medicine. Fear has hit the fearful and even has begun to creep into the hearts of the most rational people. I am fairly certain that I would be fine if I caught the virus, but I am a little worried about my elderly mother, who lives with me. I think the fear isn't just about the virus. It's about security. Will we be able to get what we need if we need to stay in? Will the economy survive? When will things be "normal"?

     I think of it as an opportunity to do some things differently. Maybe for a while, we will see our families and pets more. We will do those puzzles and read those books. We will discover hidden talents we never knew we had. I don't believe in boredom. This world is full of things to discover and I would bet that you have projects and hobbies you set aside as you have been exploring the outside world that you can finally get to! We can cook more at home. I love that during a crisis people stock up on beans and rice. We vegetarians apparently are always prepared for a crisis, though I have never tried that argument to go plant-based before. Speaking of green, we will use less gasoline, because more of us will be working remotely. We will use fewer cups because we won't be stopping by Starbucks. We will discover the magic of bidets because the toilet paper is out of stock.  😉

     It reminded me of what it must have felt like to live during a world war. All of those same questions were being asked then. We are fortunate to have the technology to make things easier for us this time, but our technology won't tell us when we can see our friends again or how our favorite local restaurant owners will survive. We will need to be patient as we wait this out. We will need to make adjustments. If our great-grandparents did it, then we can do it too!