Of Families, Friends, And Rainbows’ Ends
William Southold | Opinion Columnist |The Southold Report
“Speaking fiction to power one story at a time.”
I filled my coffee cup for the second time and headed towards my home office, wondering why I hadn’t been graced by Middie’s presence yet this morning. She’s usually up by this time. But there she was, under my desk.
“I was wondering when you would wander, if ever, back in here,” she said to me. “Planning on doing a little work? Finally?”
I put my cup down and she scooted out from underneath. I sat down.
“I thought I might give it a try, yes.”
“You haven’t filed a report in a while.”
“I know, but my editor has been patient with me.”
“That’s good. I think this is the right thing for you to do. Give it a shot. See what you can come up with.”
I booted up the computer, checking my news feed of the top stories of the morning. Nothing really caught my attention to comment on. The Democratic Convention breaking new ground. The normal Trump fiascos. Celebrities dealing with Coronavirus. Other countries doing so much better than our own.
“I don’t know,” I said dejectedly.
“Listen. I know you are bummed by all this stay at home business we’ve been doing. I’ve heard you talking to your kids and grandkids.”
I gave a deep sigh. “I just wish we could visit. Any other summer we would all be together. We might even be going up to that mountain lake for a family vacation. But we can’t. I just don’t think it’s safe to travel yet, staying in motels, eating at restaurants along the way.”
“I know. I was looking at a Covid map from the CDC. We’d have to travel through a lot of higher infected states between here and the western slope. Flying has it’s own problems too. For your whole family.”
“I don’t know if things will ever get back to normal. I don’t think it will. Not a normal that will be as easy as the old normal, that’s for sure.”
“You may be right there. But how about looking at it this way? You still have a number of rainbows, stretching from here to your family, with a pot of gold at the other end of each one. A rainbow ending with each family member, and it will always remain, to follow to those pots of gold.”
I stopped to considered this. I thought of my kids, and my grandkids, and how much fun we always have together, and what a treat it is to be with them. We even have new grandkids who either we have yet to spend much time with, or have never been with. But we will, God willing, as soon as this mess is over.
“You know. You’re right,” I said to Middie. “Thanks for that. It gives me a whole new way of thinking about it.”
“Always here to lend a helping hand,” she replied. “On call, 24/7. No charge.”
She got up and left the room, and I thought, “I have a pot of gold right here, don’t I?” and that made me feel a lot better too.
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Middie waiting for me under my desk, ready to dispense her wisdom.