AS WE SHELTER IN PLACE, WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST?

I MISS MY MAGIC,

My poor wife thought she would get the TV back during this season of cancelled sports. Well, after re-watching the 1992 All Star game (in Orlando) as well as the 1995 and 2009 Finals, she is a bit frustrated. By now, the Magic would be entering the NBA Playoffs. Markelle Fultz would be making his playoff debut and the Magic would be looking for some, well, magic on the hardwood. But not yet. Things happen. The Magic will be back (hopefully this season), and I can’t wait.

MOVIE NIGHT,

I really miss going to the movies. I go all the time — with or without my husband (we rarely agree on what to see). I am all about the extra-large buttery popcorn, enormous Coke Zero with a shot of Cherry Coke and enjoying a great film on the big screen. Although I detest when people check their phones or worse, answer them, I wouldn’t even mind that movie violation now sitting in quarantine! Hopefully soon I’ll get to sit in a dark theater and escape into a great film — “Black Widow” — can’t wait!

TIME WITH MOM,

What I most miss is the ability to actually give my mother a kiss without a mask and to give her a loving touch without gloves, while she is in her assisted-living facility. I’m thankful that I’m allowed in to see her, but the social contact she would otherwise have with others, even including other residents, is a point of sadness because even they are appropriately kept isolated from one another.

HUMAN TOUCH,

With the exception of my lovely wife’s company, the past weeks have been pretty much devoid of close personal interaction. Of course, there’s always brief small talk with neighbors we pass on our daily walks or the checkout clerks at the local supermarket, but that’s no substitute for heartfelt dialogue delivered face to face about things that matter. Nor is it a substitute for a handshake, a pat on the back or a hug with a dear friend. Hopefully, when this is all over, we can again enjoy those pleasures of life for which there are no substitutes.

PANERA FRIDAYS,

Since the week I began taking our oldest son, Jordan, (now graduating from law school) to pre-K, our weekly routine included a Friday morning stopover at Panera for bagels and cream cheese. That routine continued with our second (Jared, now graduating from college) and then our third (Isabella, a high school junior). Our three sweethearts over 20 years of Panera Fridays! While we are all hunkered down as a family sheltering in place, I do miss that unremarkable yet gracious custom which seemed to have become a waypoint in the rhythm and flow of ordinary life.

NO CHANCE TO PLAN,

One thing I really miss these days is the ability to plan. By nature, I am a planner, always looking ahead. Being newly retired, there was already less to schedule than usual, but I was enjoying creating plans for this summer, a time when we usually do something special with our grandchildren. Since all the children live at a distance, I don’t know when I will enjoy their hugs again, so now I am simply grateful for technology that allows me to enjoy their smiles.

GOING OUT TO LUNCH,

Going to lunch. I love my husband, but sheltering in place means eating lunch with him each day. I miss the excitement of lunching at a different restaurant each day. My mom told me at an early age that I am a “people person.” Now, as a professional fundraiser, going to lunch is a major part of my job. I use that time to build relationships with various people who support my charity. Going to lunch was fun! Besides knowing I was supporting the restaurant industry, I was gaining in knowledge of cultivating a donor or stewarding an investor.

BUSTLING STREETS,

I miss seeing people’s faces. Smiles. I’m ecstatic to see so many being socially and personally responsible in my neighborhood, but a simple smile just cannot be replaced. Hearing laughter. Kids running about, parents yelling after them, trying to keep up. Petting my canine neighbors. The streets are so eerily quiet now, and at all hours of the day. Ironically, my neighborhood has become even more social despite our respectful, physical distancing. Will our affable, temporary “new normal” disappear once COVID-19 has run its course? I certainly hope not.