How Else To Keep Me Going
Beyond vaccination, masks and social distance
Watch hawks float around the tops of trees
Drink coffee without sugar
Savor M’s painting of a red dahlia
Watch a movie we both agree on
Rub her feet on our sofa
Spend time with Steven Colbert, Lady Gaga
Curate my Spotify music library; include standup comics
Pamper my curiosity on Wikipedia about Glaciers, Vermeer
Let questions pop up others might think are silly
What would life be like if I do live until I’m 120?
How would my sons look when they were 77 and 71?
Will there still be the filibuster?
Play solitaire on my phone while I head toward sleep
Don’t count wake up calls to the bathroom, until they are 3 or more
Sleep 8+ hours and look out the window every morning
Re-read James Baldwin and Ram Dass
Highlight points I should memorize
Take another class on equanimity and the fear of dying
Remember, at least once a day, I am safe in this moment
Love people who I believe see the real me
Say thank you when people let me talk, not just wait for me to finish
Repeat to myself, it’s okay to need optimism
Keep knowing I’ll live through being disappointed.
Be willing to cry when I’m happy, even if others see it.