Sidewalk Therapy
Featured in the Dayton Daily News
Well, I’m checking in with all of you to see how you’re faring. Other than the few who are making sure the world turns for others, the majority of us are keeping a pretty low profile these days. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, or your previous sense of ordinary time, Covid-19 has stilled the world. Sacrifice is taking on new definition. All of us are banking a plethora of disappointments as we move through these intense days. Each week feels like a month as we remain aware of the situation around us and commit to the courageous act of staying home.
I don’t know about you, but I find myself each morning having to reset myself for the day. The uncertainty of what our lives will look like next week or next month feels daunting. The current situation around us is so vast, that I have to still my worried mind. Like you, I love many front line medical people who are charged with caring for the sick and anxious about spreading this virus to those they love. So, as we navigate isolation, uncertainty and fear, where do we go? Well, it probably doesn’t surprise you, but I have a suggestion.
Getting outside is a pleasure that might have been taken for granted every other March, but in 2020 it’s extra special. Threaded between the frequent raindrops this time of year are days when the combination of brilliant skies and warming temperatures provide and invitation to be renewed by fresh air. The other day offered such a summon, and I went for a much-needed walk around my neighborhood. Usually when I take a stroll I’m listening to music, an audio book or some other means of distraction. This day, however, I walked in solitude, trying to center myself amidst this very fast moving crisis. I tried to be present to the birds singing, the gentle Spring breeze kissing my cheek, and rest in gratitude which is always available no matter what. I walked my route, lost in the familiarity of routine. Mundane, right? Oh no!
Just when I thought my walk succeeded in cleansing my psyche, I was stilled by unexpected delight. For there on the sidewalk, in bright and vibrant colors were messages written in chalk, linking one cement square to another. The artistic patchwork laid adjacent to a yard with a swing set and garage full of bicycle helmets. Children, no doubt, enjoyed their home-schooled recess. A huge smiley face, a rainbow spanning from one sidewalk seam to the next, and the random colorful hearts left me immersed in joy. Written in bold was the message, “HAVE A GREAT DAY!” All I could do was smile. I thought about the delivery people, the mail carriers, the sanitation workers and all fellow strollers whose day was brightened by the imagination of others. Who knew a bit of sidewalk chalk and some good intention could change the trajectory of a gloomy day.
I stand by my sentiment that in this unique season of Covid-19, creative ways of connection will see us through. I think it’s important to check in with one another. We are in unprecedented times with no certainty or timeline to resolution. As we all navigate our way through the Covid-19 pages of the history books, the stories of our own coping will blur amidst the bigger story. In reality, though, it’s the million little snippets of joy that will pave the way towards our greater survival. I doubt if sidewalk art will make the history books, but it sure can make someone’s day.