Hi friends!
Well, we have made it through almost two months of our ‘new normal’ with the city and county opening up slowly. We have been counting down the days to when our cherished local businesses can flip the ‘Open’ signs. But what does this truly mean or look like? I know my friends and I have pondered these questions and so many more on our Zoom happy hours, socially distanced driveway parties or long walks through our neighborhoods. I think the reality is, none of us know the answer, and while that seems scary, we have to embrace and accept it.
If you are like me and always like to have a plan and be in control, this has not been an easy confinement. What I have learned about myself over the past two months is that rushing around or worrying doesn’t get me to a better place faster; it just creates undue anxiety. Adaptability is the lane I will choose instead as I evaluate my personal and professional fronts and how I should continue to reinvent. Patience needs to be practiced every day, along with meeting people where they are in this COVID journey. Don’t judge anyone because they are more or less cautious than you. There is no playbook for this! Some positives? I have learned to communicate through my eyes while not being able to show I’m smiling with a mask on. I’ve also witnessed more acts of kindness and real conversations with walls being broken down. This virus is the great equalizer and unifier. But I miss our hometown teams, concerts, a patio with friends, church, a city that is alive, and I know this summer will look quite different. I also know that our community will continue to support local and follow the guidelines, and that missing some of the fun now is a small sacrifice for the long-term gain of saving lives and putting new systems in place to gather freely and safely again.
Above all, I am thankful for my health and understand this virus has our medical community working to the point of exhaustion to save lives and create a vaccine. There are not enough words, parades or thank you messages we could offer for what they are experiencing and risking to take care of our loved ones. So, as we spread our cautious quarantine wings, please know Town&Style, just like you, loves this city, and we are rooting for a post-COVID life that is richer in ways we never imagined. Stay well.