Today is Pasquetta. This is traditionally a day, weather permitting, for picnics, or for dining at a friend’s country place under their pergola. At the very least, it is a day for eating out.
Oh, well.
My good friend Maria Gagliano and I say hello via WhatsApp chat almost every morning.
“Happy Pasquetta, Maria!”
“Likewise. The Pasquetta when everyone stayed home.”
Oh, well.
The weather was not perfect – a little overcast by mid-afternoon – but I celebrated by hanging laundry on the clothesline for the first time this year, and by sending a pot of tomato/rice soup over to Renzo and Patrizia. They thanked me like they had done nothing to deserve such kindness. Our bowls of gratitude seem to be overflowing in good form; plenty of noisy joy in this part of town.
Their daughter, Beatrice (who has a double doctorate, one from Melbourne, Australia) translated yesterday’s post for her parents. That made me happy. They went on Facebook and replied, liked, and exchanged niceties with anyone who referenced them personally. Our early balcony chat was about how much fun it was for them to connect with my friends and family half a world away.
This is great, folks. Thank you for enabling that. It’s stuff like this we can spend our lockdown time and energy fostering. We can do more than simply “get through it.” We can come out the other end with honor for those who served, sadness for those we lost, and with glorious examples of how wonderful people can be to one another to remember in the future.
That will also help us “get through it.”
In the spirit of Pasquetta – to set a different tone – I invite you to share with us your stories of recent kindness, gratitude, and joy. If you read this on Facebook, comment. If not, email me privately, and I’ll post your comments for you. Write JOY in the subject line if you me send an email. (If you don’t have my address, send good thoughts.)
Now go have a virtual picnic, y’all!