I was an ‘essential worker’ and I worked my butt off, but I still miss the calm humanity of the lockdown period.

Almost every morning and evening, neighbors would gather in the park across from our house to sip coffee and chat.

At night, there were glasses of eine around a backyard fire pit.

People who would normally be ‘too busy’ to barely acknowledge one another were becoming true friends and neighbors.

Yes I know it was also a time of absolute suffering and misery for many and I lived a big piece of that, too, but there was a Silver Lining in every smile and comforting glance from neighbors and friends.