Dreaming of paradise

Untitled (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

Do you remember paradise with all of its problems?
I used to think of paradise as Paris, New York City,
Florence, L.A.  Now I think of paradise as streets
without people wearing masks. What else?

* Being able to hug my children.  That would be
top of the list.  My children don't live with me, and
hugging them is not considered safe.

* Going to the grocery store and enjoying it.  Talking
to the staff, joking around -- having fun.

* Being able to meet a friend for coffee.  Sitting
down in a café, or restaurant and having a coffee together.

* Being able to invite friends over for coffee, or dinner.

* Going to our local neighbourhood coffee group on
Tuesday morning.

* Teaching live in the classroom.

* Going to art shows, and exhibiting in art shows.

* Freedom from worry about possibly getting sick
from someone without symptoms who is carrying the
virus.

* Freedom to go anywhere we wanted to and to know
it was safe.

The list is endless, and none of it matters compared to
the freedom of staying healthy, and not getting, or
spreading the virus.

We have been social distancing, and mostly staying home,
and I've been working from home for seven weeks now.
We have got the coping strategies we think we need
in place. I would not say it's the new normal, but it
is not as hard as it was at first in some ways.  Still
boy do I miss the "old" normal, and I miss all of you.

Have a remembering paradise day.