Friend, I understand. I do.
We’ve weathered this surreal time together from our respective places on the planet for nearly a year now.
How are you? NO, I mean it—don’t sugarcoat your answer—how ARE you?
Are you up and down on a weekly, daily, hourly basis? I am, too.
At times, I feel hopeful, excited to plan for the after-corona times. I don’t even need to close my eyes to see myself on a train as it picks up speed, and I settle in, with Milo at my feet. Along for the journey are two small bags with just the necessities. It would be just one bag, but Milo and I, well, we like to travel with our own snacks.
Does it feel like some days only a hug will do?
A hug for comfort—a warm, simpatico human who holds you with strength and tenderness, a kind person who expects nothing in return.
I know it’s especially challenging for those who are solo, even for those of us who love our time alone. We introspective beings who’d tattoo the word introvert on our souls (knowing this is one true thing about who we are), yes, we crave that comfort, too.
Even loners get lonely. I know this deeply.
So, when you need comfort, when it feels like only a hug can satisfy, I’d like to offer a few options for comfort, so you don’t have to look around for ideas on your own. When you’re tired and so SO over it, even with all the world available to you via a web browser, it’s nice to have someone hand-select a few things for you, don’t you think?
So, just for you, some delights that are hug stand-ins. Let me know what you try/watch/listen to:
Let’s start with Ross Gay, the chief finder of delights (I’m a super fan and so is my pal Tammy). The Book of Delights: Essays is soul-sustenance for dark and light times. He calls his book “a treatise on delight.” Watch and listen to him read his short essays Tomato On Board and Marfa Lights, and then try to tell me you didn’t fall a little bit in love.
I came across this woman’s story a few days ago about her little free art gallery in Seattle. It’s a testament to human creativity during a time of great restraint.
At Seattle’s Little Free Art Gallery on Queen Anne, you can take a tiny piece of art or leave one
I’d love to do something like this—just not sure how it would work in my neighborhood (maybe I’ll return to leaving my lost & found creations in public places, like at the park near my apartment).
Wake up early and listen to birdsong. This is a recording I made last summer.
Paper Ghosts is a website and project created by my friend Melinda and her husband, Russell. They‘ve gathered choice vintage photos featuring everyday lives of ordinary people from throughout their travels in Portugal. Haunting and fitting for these times, check out their collection and enter the story contest, too (closes March 15, 2021).
Did you love former postman Nathan Evan’s rendition of the Wellerman sea shanty the first 100 times you heard it, but are now longing for something else?
Well, congrats to Nathan; he snagged himself a record deal, so let’s move on and allow me to introduce you to Frank Watkinson, a self-effacing gent who, with his heartfelt guitar playing and singing will have you hooked. He performs originals and covers from all over the musical universe: Bright Eyes, John Prine, Morphine, The Pogues, and Mazzy Star.
Mr. Watkinson’s YouTube videos are a balm for his fans, a place where he holds thoughtful court over a quiet and kind corner of the internet. In a world where social media comment sections can be harsh and mean-spirited, a free-for-all brawl of faceless bullies, Frank’s fans are anything but.
He’s inspired people to learn guitar, and from many comments, he’s helped lots of folks who are navigating murky times (he’s become honorary grandpa for those who don’t have one—for all of us who want or need one, he says). Watch this and tell me you don’t tear up. I do every time (and isn’t that just what we sometimes need—a good cry?)
Soup. The ultimate hug in food form. Make some today. Try this one or this one.
And finally, check out The Sketchbook Project at the Brooklyn Art Library—you can even participate!
I hope this little letter has brought you some comfort to help you cope, even if only for a few minutes, in these turbulent times.
I’d love to know what you’re listening to, reading, delighting in—tiny delights count, too! Until next week, thanks for being out there—I appreciate you!
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Hi Shanna! Yes sometimes all you want and need is a hug but because of social distancing, it's not always possible! Thank god for Skype and Whatsapp etc. At least we can still talk to our families and friends, imagine if this had happened before the Internet?! I dread to think if people are struggling with it! Take care Shanna! You will be on that train with Milo in the not too distant future so take comfort from that knowledge that it WILL happen! Hugs xx