I know it sounds more than a little scary in NYC right now. If I spend too much time looking at the news or pursuing facts and the latest stats about the Coronavirus spread I find myself almost paralyzed with panic or fear. So I have stopped doing that. For my own sanity and well being it is not helpful. I refuse to watch the news, especially the orange bastard who offers little encouragement or insight.
Here is what I am doing. I am staying informed. Each day I get the city alerts and updates. At around 7:30/8:00 pm I get a personalized email in my inbox from Governor Cuomo letting me know what all New Yorkers need to be aware of and and what we need to be doing. I am so very grateful for Cuomo and his direction. He is the calm in this very real storm. We are staying home. We only go out to take the dog and if we absolutely have to get something from the store/pharmacy. We are doing our part to flatten the curve.
I am so very grateful for my girls and Mr. Memphis. We are trying to stay positive. We are getting used to the new norm. We have our ups and downs. We laugh. We cry. We dance. We try and workout. We schedule Zoom, FaceTime and calls with friends. We eat chocolate. We cry. We get angry. We watch a lot of tv. We stay in our comfies. We nap. We read. We stare out the window. We take our temperature. We take long baths. We listen to music. Adriana and Regan make music and sing. We hide. We socialize. We work. We are doing the same things as the rest of you.
This morning I decided I would take Memphis on our normal Saturday walk in Central Park. We were missing our walking buddies, but it was good to have some normalcy. As we entered the park the sun began to rise and a feeling of calm settled in. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how much I love this damn city. It is BEAUTIFUL. It is tough and hard and some days you will wonder if living here is worth all the effort but then it will wrap you up in its arms and remind you of its strength, beauty and incredible community. Yes, we are in the middle of a dark and scary time, but time and time again New Yorker’s are stepping up and looking out for one another. I did not see a lot of people on my walk today and that was a good thing, but those that I did, waved and said “Good Morning” from a distance. A little reminder that we are not alone.
I am having a hard time putting in to words all of the emotions that I felt as I walked, but it felt like deep love for NYC. A reminder that even in the worst of times, this city is resilient, strong and working together to get through this. I needed that little reminder. Sometimes being in your apartment you feel very alone, but walking in the big, empty city, you also realize that in each of the buildings hold the hearts of others just like you, doing the same things as you, and together we will get through this.
Thanks for reading and listening. May you find some peace in your day. Stay healthy, keep laughing and smiling. BIG love to all of you.
It's Always An Adventure 