We Are Not Out of the Woods

Happy Wednesday!

It's a winter wonderland here in Maryland and as a native New Yorker- I am loving it!! It's just not winter to me without a few decent snow storms in the books. My favorite part of these storms are, ironically, the quiet that comes with it. There is a beautiful stillness outside when the snow falls and even with two children and a dog, there is a slowing down that happens in our house once those snowflakes start blowing around. I hope that you saw at least a bit of this storm where you are and are loving it as much as I am!

Today’s entry will be short, but not all that sweet. As we approach the one year mark of closing down my physical practice, schools closing and "normal life" as we know it, changing completely, I am filled with so many emotions because we really still are not out of the woods- not yet. There are glimpses of that light at the end of the tunnel like my 75 year old mother getting her first dose of the vaccine or rumblings of our local schools re-opening- at least part time.

However, after receiving a message recently from a friend about her husband losing multiple family members to this horrible virus just in the past two weeks, it is a reality check. We are still in it. As much as I would love for life to move forward and get back to work and see my children get back to school, there is so much more going on outside of my little world- and yours. There are still people losing family and friends...and we still have a ways to go.

My friend mentioned wanting time to stop- to honor these losses. So that is what I am asking for today. Let’s just pause and reflect on the fact that the loss of lives are the greatest loss of all. 

I know this entry is somber and maybe it is due to the introspective feeling you get when you're in the thick of winter, but my message today is just to hang in there. I know we are all antsy and exhausted, but if these are the least of our worries, then we are the lucky ones. 

So make sure you reach out to your friends, family and neighbors. Be sure to listen. You may not be in the same situation as they are, so find compassion for them. 

"Kindness is like snow- It beautifies everything it covers." -Kahlil Gibran

As always, thank you for reading.
With Gratitude-
Rachel