Man-oh-man, these days are getting difficult. That’s putting it mildly, isn’t it? COVID continues – actually it has accelerated its furious pace. And for good and faithful mask-wearers like me, the news gets worse. My cloth mask is just not going to do it; it needs to be an N95. Planes, performances, and parties are cancelled. Oh, and the temperatures outside have stayed below zero. It’s hard to stay positive.
I started writing these posts about finding joy in the time of COVID because it helped me to stay hopeful. Knowing I had to write regularly about joy really does help me to notice it. So, after a holiday hiatus, I’m back at it.
Today I am thinking about showers. Like taking a nice warm shower in a nice warm bathroom in a nice warm house. I was reminded of this joy recently when I read an article about a man who was being released from decades of prison after being wrongfully accused of a terrible crime. The story is long and heartbreaking, but, in the end, I suppose heart-lifting to know he finally got out – after 30 years of sitting in a cell. Anyway, at the time of his release, he said he had lots of things in life to look forward to, one of which was taking a shower. A shower that was not scalding hot or bone-chilling cold. Now, that is enough to make a crabby person like me stop and be thankful for the joy of a shower.
Here’s another joy for me when it comes to showers: it’s where I get my best inspiration. Last year, when Jeff Bezos made that ill-conceived, ill-timed, ridiculous trip to space, I was irate. I couldn’t believe my Amazon money was going to fund this vanity project. That morning, as I was taking a shower, the letter that I would write to Jeff came into my head – just like that. As they say, the piece wrote itself.
I sent it in to the StarTribune, and I was thrilled to see they published it. And I was really thrilled to see that it was listed as the 5th most read opinion piece by StarTribune online readers for 2021! Take that, Jeff. (Read it here).
So, today’s joy is the shower. A shower for which we can control the temperature. A shower that keeps us clean, keeps us warm, and provides inspiration.
I am mindful of those among us who do not have a shower, or even a home. I pray for the time when we as a community and country can do what needs to be done to house the homeless.