2020 Life Logs, Day 122: May Day During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Date: Friday, May 1, 2020
Weather: Overcast, Turning Sunny Late Day; High 59 degrees, Low 47 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The first day of May conjures up images in my head of children dancing around a Maypole decorated with brightly colored ribbons. They would be celebrating the fact that this day is the approximate midpoint between spring equinox and summer solstice. It is normally a day that gives hope that warmer days are on the way. Some people celebrate May Day by filling paper baskets with flowers or sweets and leaving them on the doorsteps of friends. The original custom was to knock on the door and yell “May basket!” before running away. If the person receiving the gift ran after and caught you, they would give you a kiss. If you tried this during the coronavirus pandemic, the receiver would be afraid to touch the basket and you would be horrified if someone tried to kiss you. These are times in which we are living. I don’t write this to be a downer, even though it is, but just as a reminder of what we are living through. “The strict Puritans of New England considered the celebrations of May Day to be licentious and pagan, so they forbade its observance, and the springtime holiday never became an important part of American culture as it has in many European countries.” Those Puritans would probably do well during this pandemic!
Maybe because it is the first day of new month or maybe because I have been staring at my computer for too many hours every day this week, for whatever reason, I thought a lot about living through this pandemic today. I tried to envision what summer will be like. I didn’t like what I saw, so I decided it is just too soon to think about that. For now, for this month of May, I will continue to focus on staying at home, either mine or Heather and Jed’s, and get my food and other necessities delivered to my doorstep. And I’ll continue visiting with friends via Zoom. Because today was Friday, I tuned into Governor Cuomo’s noontime press conference. I think he does a press conference every day, but I just like to tune in Friday to get his take on how the week has gone in New York. I like to listen to him because he makes so much sense. He makes me feel grounded. He ended today’s press conference with a new Andrew Cuomo quote: “When life kicks you on your rear . . . learn . . . grow . . . get backup.” All of us have been knocked for a loop by this pandemic, but some more than others. For those who have truly been kicked hard in the rear, the rest of us must work together to find ways to help them get backup.
My end-of-the-week statement of gratitude: Hurray for warmer weather with no rain. No winter coat or raincoat needed today. Tomorrow is forecast to be even warmer, so this calls for a celebration.
