Looking Forward

 

Looking forward to . . . . 

I have uttered and written the phrase above many, many times in the past few weeks. 

A few months ago, I could not. 

It seemed like the world had stopped spinning and that to look forward was futile and depressing at best.

Though we have just passed the darkest time of the year and we are now in the midst of the darkest time of the Covid 19 Pandemic, I find myself looking forward again and with better vision. 

In a couple of weeks, I'll go to the eye doctor for a check up.  

When that is over, maybe I can literally look forward with that better vision. 

After all, when you're old, there's always cataract surgery.  

I don't know if I've reached that point just yet.  Each year, the examiner suggests that I'm on the brink but not quite yet. 

Eyes aside, we are endowed with a different kind of vision, which we can see even with our eyes closed. 

Seems like that view kind took a hit this year, but it also feels like there may be a re-awakening on the brink. 

Today marks a transition in my somewhat limited 2020 vision.  Annie will leave and go back to Seattle. 

My vision allowed me, throughout November and December, to imagine a Christmas like no other where family members could be together but would have to approach each other with caution and distance, kinda "like the plague." 

We did just that over the past several days, but our unusual regimen also led some funny moments. 

I'll always remember the specific day Annie stood at the wide-open sliding glass door (that was her favorite spot for visiting her masked parents who hung out close to the wood stove).

On that particular day, our daughter held a spray can of Lysol, waving it through the air around her with her finger on the button. 

Her intention was to scare away any possible Covid droplets which she might have brought to the doorway. 

I told her at the time that all those clouds of Lysol she was spraying would probably kill us before the Covid would. 

We chuckled.

Then she went on her way with Foster back to her safe room in the hotel downtown. 

Today she'll head on her way back to Seattle.  Bill will don two masks and a face shield for the drive in to the airport, which will be cold cuz the car windows will be open. 

Annie will wear her protective glasses, her masks and will have her sanitizer handy at all times from the airport to the plane and through Sea-Tac, where she reported on her earlier trip seeing some air travelers walking around the airport in Hazmat suits. 

Once this day is over, it will once again be Day 1 of our common 14-day countdown, which we have done numerous times over the past ten months.  

If we encounter other human beings, especially those not wearing masks, we start our countdowns.  

We are always happy when we reach Day 10 cuz by then we figure the future is looking good for us. 

And, for some reason on this day after the Christmas we all envisioned to be like none other, the eye toward the future does look a bit more promising. 

Yes, this is the darkest time, but the dawn of a new post-Pandemic day seems imminent. 

We all know that this is the time to be more careful than ever---each and every family member.  

We also know that through life there have been those seemingly unapproachable but tantalizing moments of "how it's gonna be."  We remember the hard work, encouragement, motivation, discipline and care that it took to stay on focus. 

And, when the reward came, it was oh so good.  The rough journey leading to that moment was worth every bit of grit we had put into it. 

This morning I think of our ZAGS.  The years of hard work, of recruitment, of teaching, of developing a belief, etc. seemed to come to a universal assessment with yesterday's game against Virginia.

The ZAGS have arrived, and it is such a beautiful phenomenon for players, coaches, team alumni and diehard ZAGS fans around the world. 

Has been a long road for this program, but the realization and the acknowledgement from the masses that this NCAA No. 1 program is really something very special is inspiring and gratifying to all who have and continue to play a part in the vision of such sweet success. 

Gonzaga's achievement is among the myriad of similar situations across this world where dreams that might not look somewhat dim one day suddenly light up, thanks to a well-focused and disciplined vision. 

And, so here we are, after ten months of our lives often put on hold.  May we all see some flickers of light and allow them to help us stay on course toward that big light we all seek at the end of this Pandemic tunnel. 

That endeavor may seem more difficult than ever during the next couple of months, but if we remain on track to stay safe and ensure the safety of others by our responsible behavior, our many "looking forward to's" may become reality. 

And, we can put that can of Lysol spray and those Chlorox wipes back on the shelf for another time. 

Happy Sunday.