I Shall Pass This Way But Once

Every so often Vince meets up with some buddies for a little male bonding over a glass of scotch and a cigar. Or two.

This gives me a little “Jane Time,” which is equally as important. I may head over to mom’s place for a visit. Or I might run some errands. Or I’ll have my own catch-up time with friends.

Obviously, none of those things are options right now in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic.

Or are they?

Vince’s friend Steve suggested today that they all get together via Zoom – so Vince is out on the patio enjoying the sunshine and warmth while drinking a glass of scotch and smoking a cigar – and talking and laughing with his friends.

That’s simply awesome.

I just love the creativity I’m seeing right now both in talent and ideas. Musicians are singing and playing for us online. The funny memes are out of control. And there are an awful lot of TikTok and Facebook Live videos being posted that are everything from the silly to the sublime.

But even better - families are taking walks together and friends are gathering in the street (albeit 6’ apart). I even saw a creative way some girlfriends got together by parking their vehicles in a semi-circle and sitting in their open trunks to hang out together and laugh.

I think we are all rediscovering the important things in life. Like life itself. And treasuring the time we get to spend with people we care about.

And maybe when this is all over and we are once again able to eat a meal in a restaurant or watch a game on the TV at a sports bar or gather together for, well, any reason at all, we will not take these things for granted.

When I was a kid I had a favorite saying. Don’t ask me where I came across it back then – but I can still remember it today. Maybe not word for word (as I’m old), but pretty close. I didn’t even know who the author was until I just now looked it up on Google. It’s by Etienne De Grellet (or Stephen Grellet – Wikipedia being what it is). But it reads:

I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

Good words to live by. Especially now.

Wishing you all a happy (and especially) healthy Sunday.