I most miss open smiles and hugs full of love.
I miss the waitress at the Colophon Cafe who takes
my order for African peanut soup as the music
of friends chatting and laughing at the other
tables washes over us, and bathes us in their joy.
I miss stopping to chat on the boardwalk and
meeting old friends, and new. I miss getting
to know people as we wait in line at the store,
and running into former students in the aisles.
I miss buying mochas for the stranger standing
on the corner. I miss the buskers and their music,
and the color and energy of the Farmers Market.
Here’s what I will miss when this is over –
I’ll miss the quiet roads and clean blue skies.
I’ll miss the No Car Days and the time at home
with family. I’ll miss the weeks without a schedule
and losing track of time. I’ll miss the stillness
and peace and time to reflect. I’ll miss this time
alone. I’ll miss the uninterrupted time to create
and garden and sing and think. I’ll miss the time
to catch up with correspondence, and the time
to sort and recycle the flotsam and jetsam that
washes from the mailbox and onto our kitchen
counter Monday through Saturday.
I’m going to remember to be grateful for what
I had then, and grateful for what I have now,
and grateful for what I’ll have tomorrow, too.
– Karen
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 
Hello Karen , I loved this. I am already missing the things you mentioned from the quarantine as we are back open for business here. Well there are a few restrictions but I think that will be from now on with all of ours new normal. I hear from one side that we need heard immunity and it is not that bad in the first place and then from the other side that we are becoming one of the “new hot spots” and we are all going to,die. I am dealing with my mother going through cancer treatments with half of my family not really approving of it and her doctor telling me that I have to be extremely careful as she will die if I bring this sickness in to her and so on and on. I sometimes sit here in the dark at night and imagine what if I were one of Mrs Eddys workers at her home at Pleasantview and she looked at me with those penetrating eyes of hers and quoted from Science and Health that “There is no Disease” !!,,,,,,Would I have believed her? LOL, Take care my friend, Rick
Right?!!!
I think the feeling of responsibility you and are feeling to others can feel pretty heavy sometimes. And maybe BECAUSE I identify myself as a Christian Scientist I want to be EXTRA careful that people don’t see me being cavalier about this as I go out in public. Your dear mother is so blessed to have you for a son. Love, love, love to her and to you as you make your way through these challenging times.
Blessings! Karen