No Guarantees

 

We live in a world of "go go go", with no end in sight. We worry about what THEY will think of our clothes, the way we talk, what we have to say, what books we like, and if we take Almond milk in our coffee. We berate others for fucking up and doing the wrong thing, yet cower when someone calls us out on our own problems. We are, in short, lost. But, it doesn't have to be like that. And, it really isn't. Over a year ago, the world changed drastically. A virus came into our lives and our living rooms, threatening to break us down and kill us off. We fell under a bleak spell and hid under thick blankets, scared of the outside world and the horrors that lay in the shadows. Several months later, we timidly crept out to find that the world had changed . . . for the better. Among the numerous deaths, we found a new way to live. Among the fear of the unknown, we found a way to understand and educate ourselves. We finally read that pile of books sitting by the bed. We finally learned how to make quiche Lorraine. We finally spoke to that neighbour down the street. We finally asked ourselves - what do I truly need in my life? On this 26th day in May 2021, we are slowly stripping ourselves of the masks and replacing them with vaccines in our arms that will turn sore. We are greeting others and hanging out for coffee and tea. We are closing our eyes and taking a deep breath in the library, grateful to be around so many books. We are realizing that to be alive means that there are no guarantees. We may not wake up tomorrow. We may lose everything tomorrow. No guarantee means - NOW. 

We are now. Today.