There are many quotes about how our scars tell a story. For the pandemic there are no visiable scars but I know they are there. I know I’ve been living in this pandemic world so long I sometimes wonder if I can remember what pre pandemic was like. The pictures on my phone told me.
I was looking though the pictures on my phone the other day, looking for something. As I looked through the pictures I realized two things:
First a quick note on the weird stuff. With the pandemic, my husband and I don’t often go shopping together. We take turns. However, I am not the cook. My phone is now full of pictures of products that I’m not sure of. Products that I send him while shopping so he can advise me which to buy. This sesame oil or that one? Which potatoes? Is creamy horseradish ok given I can’t find the non-creamy? Avocado oil…will this blend work? Which of these meat cuts do you want? This is on sale, should I pick it up? You get the idea…
The other “weird” stuff is pictures of notes, screens, etc. that I needed in the moment. However, when I look at it now… I have no idea what it is or why I even needed it. Do you have these pictures too?
The pictures also told me how much life had changed. My pictures from April 2020 to today are filled with our monthly dates, flights and slides captured from presentations that I’ve sat through. Prior to April 2020 my pictures show me a very social life. Balls, dinners out with friends, parties, games nights with friends, festivals, shows and vacations.
More than a year into this pandemic and I didn’t really realize how much my life had changed. I didn’t realize how quiet our life had become. I still chat with friends, have zoom dinners, and occasional outdoor socially distanced visits. Overall, I feel busy. In between these new social norms, my husband and I work, have our dates, go flying, work on our property/house … work. As much as I knew I missed hanging out with friends, I wasn’t sure if I missed anything else.
Until I looked at the pictures. Then I realized how much I miss. I missed the ball, I’ve miss the spring and summer one of a kind shows. I miss live theater, I miss festivals, I miss Shakespeare in the park, I miss the garden party, I miss game nights with good friends, I miss restaurants and impromptu wine tours. Yes, my life has changed.
The pictures in my phone tell me a story. They tell me the story of my life before the pandemic and my life during the pandemic. I wonder what the story will say when we find our new normal. I hope it tells me a story where I’ve merged the two together. Where I get to experience life again outside of the four walls of my home. A life where I experience things with more than just my husband. A story where I still put a high value on rest and personal time. A life that isn’t as hectic but just as rich. That’s the story I hope my future pictures tell. I will just have to ensure I make that happen.
What do the pictures in your phone tell you? What do you miss? What will you try to hang on to?
“My scars tell a story … They are a reminder of when life tried to break me … But failed…” Pranav Byas
“My scars tell a story … They are a reminder of when life tried to break me … But failed…”
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