Thankful.

Hoping you readers are staying safe and doing well in these unprecedented times. I was looking through old photos and found this one I took in January. The gorgeous entry caught my eye and I can’t help but wonder now what it looks like inside and what “staying home” looks like for its residents. I also hope however lives here is doing well.

If you’re a regular around here, you may have noticed this little, budding community has been silent for the past few weeks. Since I pride myself on building a circle that welcomes vulnerability and celebrates truth, I’m taking a page from my own book here. My husband and I were both down for the count, deemed “presumed positives” for COVID-19. We are thankfully, mercifully on the mend now but it’s clear that recovery isn’t quite linear and it’s even more clear that we wouldn’t be on the road we’re on now without community.

When we were in the thick of it, when to get out of bed and make a cup of tea felt akin to running a half marathon, it was the vegetable broth and bread that appeared on our front steps from a friend that nurtured us.

When I was scared about the world outside, my anxiety in overdrive, it was the friend who sifted through the news for me, sending me a steady stream of facts, omitting the scary statistics to keep me reasonably informed and feeling less isolated.

When a symptom seemed out of control, when medical guidance and comfort was needed, it was a compassionate hodgepodge of doctors–a family doctor, a naturopathic BFF, an incredible friend/neighbor’s equally incredible doctor husband who were readily available to share their knowledge.

When spring bloomed and blossomed outside our windows and Easter was celebrated but we remained cocooned in our beds, it was the bouquet of tulips and Easter bread that arrived at our front door from my Mother in Law; the chocolates from my favorite NYC institution (and family tradition for Easter goodie procurement) from my father that reminded us that a rebirth was coming and that traditions still mattered, even if we had to save the chocolate for when our appetites came back. Ha.

As I write this, I realize these small gestures are just the tip of the iceberg. We kept to ourselves when we were sick, telling few, as everybody is fighting some sort of battle these days and we didn’t want to freak anyone out. That was our personal choice. But I’m back, and felt the need to explain where I’d been. Like I said, community carried me through that rough spell and I want to pick up where I left off. Championing for community, building community, nurturing community. So here we are! I still think I’ll be pausing the usual content we have here in the hopes of using this time to shine spotlights on different communities and small businesses; it just seems like the right thing to do in this corner of the Internet right now.

As I build my strength up physically, on a personal note as it pertains to The Modern Bee, I know that being here, with you, and doing what I love–writing and connecting–will help me build up my heart and morale, too. Here’s to pulling together, using our own gifts to comfort and support–whether that’s by baking a mean loaf of bread or telling a great joke. We might be in different boats, but we’re all in the same storm.

-Michaela