I’ve been thinking about posting for a while now, but I keep going back to, “What can I possibly say that people haven’t heard?” and “How can I share in a meaningful way?” and this has stopped me.

So, I am just going to share what’s here for me, what I’m noticing in these troubling and uncertain times.

I was in Hawaii for 5 1/2 days last week. The difference between when I left and when I came back is like whiplash. Deserted airports, largely empty streets, the threat of border closures (which has since happened). I was out in front of my house when my neighbor came by and I hadn’t seen her or her husband (my tennis coach) in a couple of weeks.

So, I crossed the street and stood 2 m away and we caught up. Then her husband poked his head out the door (about 20 ft away, he had just come back from Japan) and said hello. I was about to ask them if I could borrow their dog for a walk when they shared that Mac (their large goofy 12 yr old golden retriever) had passed away suddenly.

It took everything in me not to hug them. As we all cried together, but apart, I suddenly wondered, when would I get to hug someone again?

I live alone. And yes, I have dear friends (really family) upstairs, but we are distancing because I’ve been traveling. So we can visit and hang out, 6 ft apart. But we can’t physically touch each other. And physical touch is important to me, and to most humans. What might the impact of that be after weeks of isolation? Yes, video calls and socially distant activities are wonderful but a real hug can do so much.

So my ask is this…think about those who are physically isolated and on their own and check in - really check in. Because I’m guessing that after a while they are going to need a little something extra.

And here are some questions to get curious about, and I’d really love to hear from you on these…

What’s giving you whiplash?

How are you managing it?

What are you noticing?

What are you appreciating?

Who is your hero today?

How else can we “touch” each other?

Sue