What surprising things are you missing?
Not the big, obvious things - but the ones that surprise you when you notice their absence.
Here in Montréal, we’ve been on a real rollercoaster of weather lately. For a good part of the day on Saturday we had giant flakes of snow flying all around. I looked out the window at one point and because I’m on the 12th floor it looked like I was in a snow-globe with flakes flying in all directions! On Sunday, the temperature warmed up considerably and the sun was out in full force.
Sunday afternoon I went out for a nice walk around the neighbourhood. The snow on the ground had become quite wet and sticky and was the perfect consistency for making snow sculptures, so there were plenty of snowmen and snow forts on people’s lawns.
At one point, I heard the unmistakable sounds of children having a great time. I saw a house with two small kids bundled up in snowsuits, making snowballs on the front lawn. Then I noticed their mother on the front steps, also making snowballs. The three of them were launching an attack at the father, who had made himself a snow den on the lawn and was defending himself from the barrage by using a sled as a shield. All four were laughing and having a great time.
So naturally, as I got closer, I casually bent down and scooped up some snow. I began packing it into a snowball. The mother saw me and nodded gleefully. The father, confused at his wife’s reaction, looked around - but it was too late for him. His back was completely exposed to me and his shield was between him and the house. I yelled “sneak attack!” and lobbed my snowball in his direction!
As I continued down the street, I became aware of a number of things almost all at once.
I was smiling to myself - a genuine smile that has grown a little too unfamiliar lately, especially out in public where we’re all either wearing masks or passing each other quickly and quietly on the sidewalks.
I felt wistful for the days when my own kids were that small and playing on the lawn with them was an incredible adventure.
But what was most present, was a sense of loss and sadness. I really enjoy sharing a passing moment of silliness and fun with strangers. I’m an outgoing person - it’s a big part of who I am and this past year has really cut me off from that. I want more spontaneous joy and fun in my life!
As we close in on the one year anniversary of the pandemic (here in my part of the world) it’s natural for us to reflect on the changes we’ve had to endure. It’s also natural for us to think of the big things and people we’re missing. But don’t forget the small, surprising thing you’re missing right now.
I’m not suggesting that we should all get sad and depressed about the things we miss. Rather, I’m encouraging all of us to take note of what we miss, so we can do our best to be sure these things become a priority for our life as soon as possible. Use the absence to highlight the importance of the presence.
I want to come out of this situation better than I went into it. Who’s with me?!
-Patrick
The parks are empty. No travel ....but Spring is coming :)
Look for silver linings! They exist😄