What We Keep

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There is a lot about 2020 that I would love to return to the universe, like an unwanted package from so much online shopping. But throughout all the mayhem there have been a few moments of joy, of calm, and of grace that I would love to keep.

Shared experiences: Back in the 80’s, if it was Tuesday morning in my elementary school, then the one and only topic was what happened the night before on Little House on the Prairie; a discussion in which I, a child raised without a TV, was unable to participate. If it was Friday night, chances are you (and I, if I could score a babysitting gig in a home with a TV) were watching Dallas, the top-watched TV show of the decade. But the days of appointment television faded, the choices and platforms exploded, and we started watching whatever, whenever, and wherever we wanted, often by ourselves. That changed with the pandemic. For better or worse, it was hard to find someone who wasn’t watching the Tiger King during those first crazy weeks. The Last Dance became the most-watched ESPN documentary of all time. The Sunday night movie returned to ABC with more than five million people tuning in at the same hour to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark, a film released almost 40 years ago. Which brings me to my next point..

The old is new again: The number one movie at the box office for the weekend of June 20th was 1993’s Jurassic Park (with 1975’s Jaws a close second). Due to the shuttering of first-run movie houses and the resurgence in drive-in theaters, 160 of the 201 highest-grossing movie theaters that weekend were drive-ins. We have introduced the next generation to some classic movies (Shawshank Redemption was a big hit with my 16-year-old). We have dusted off our Betty Crocker cookbooks, and I have taken up the quest to recreate my mother’s beloved homemade hot fudge recipe. (My kids are not complaining about tasting my experiments).

Honesty: It used to be that my standard answer to “How are you?” was “Good!” or “Busy!” but now I’ve noticed  my friends and I are more honest. “Hanging in there”, “better than yesterday”, or just “it’s been a tough day/week/month”. When we are talking to each other, the standard question “How are you?” has morphed from empty social nicety to a heartfelt query with an expectation of a real response. At work, the first ten minutes of our bi-weekly team Zoom calls are spent checking in on each other, and no one tries to sugarcoat it when it’s been a rough stretch.

How we eat: In addition to growing my own lettuce, I’ve started making my own salad dressing. For once, it’s easier to throw together some olive oil, balsamic, and a splash of maple syrup than it is to brave the aisles of Safeway. And instead of searching out new recipes every week, I shop my pantry and my fridge as a starting point. (On an unrelated note, I’ve also started to “shop” my liquor cabinet which was largely untouched pre-COVID. Ginger margaritas, anyone?) My kids have been baking and cooking regularly and to my shock the phrase “egg wash” came out of my 13-year-old’s mouth the other day. And I was recently the grateful recipient of his latest concoction; an egg, cheese, and taco meat sandwich delivered during a lunchtime Zoom meeting.

Little earth-friendly changes: Partially driven by social responsibility and partially because I try to avoid shopping, I’ve started using washable face pads in place of wipes and just-add-water pellets with existing spray bottles in place of my usual cleaning supplies. And with working from home and so many cancelled activities, I have also given up a lot of driving (my least favorite aspect of being a soccer mom). I’ve also tried to find hyper-local businesses and given up longer drives to stores and restaurants. Who knew there was a top-notch catering company that prepares family meals within walking distance of our house? And please, let curbside pickup (and takeout cocktails) be another thing that we keep!

There is so much heartbreak and loss in our world right now, it helps me to focus on the bright spots, the #silverlinings, and what feel like stolen family moments to get me through. I hope the same might be possible for you.

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