Don't worry, be happy

Mama with her two girls

This lovely picture was taken in a studio long, long ago. How long? Well, the sweet blond toddler in front celebrated (if that is the correct word) her 75th birthday yesterday. Yes, my baby sister Norma Jean is that old, and I am even older. Mama, however, never even made it to seventy before she died. She and Daddy gave birth to a total of seven children, and she was a beautiful and accomplished mother to us. I feel fortunate to have been the firstborn and have nothing but happy memories of my childhood. That is not to say it was all perfect and without difficulties, but in retrospect, we were happy.

I finished reading Mary Trump's book about her own childhood and the dysfunctional family that created, as she says in her title: The World's Most Dangerous Man. That man is our president, and when I compare the way I was raised with the picture she paints, I can only be grateful for the love and relative harmony that surrounded me as I grew up. It's not a long book, but it's filled with descriptions of situations I shudder to consider having lived through. She, Mary, became a clinical psychologist to attempt to understand how her family dynamic affected them all. There is nothing uplifting or hopeful in the entire book, so I hesitate to recommend it to anybody. These days, we need to focus on the positive aspects that remain in our lives, as we navigate our way through this awful period in history.

And there are many, even though I never expected to live through a pandemic, a period of economic strife, and of political unrest the likes of which grow with every passing day. We are five months into this changed world. Much of my family lives in two states that are surging with Covid-19, Florida and Texas. Every day I read the news and wonder when we will make it to the other side of this. Not soon, I'm afraid. Perhaps a vaccine will be created by the end of the year, and we can make our way back to whatever our new normal will be. Right now it's just not normal.

Here in Washington state, we are doing relatively well. My county is in what is called "Phase 2" of the reopening plan, and we still are not meeting all the requirements necessary to move on. I think that's okay, since most of my county's residents are following the rules. Yesterday I went to the Farmers' Market and for a nice six-mile walk, and all the people I saw were masked as we enjoyed the sunshine and cool temperatures. Even outside on the boulevard, almost everyone wore a mask. Hand sanitizer is plentiful now, and although most public bathrooms are closed, there are a few that are well maintained and feel safe to use.

Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy —Bobby McFerrin

Our governor has just extended the moratorium on evictions until the middle of October, meaning that landlords will not be able to evict people because of late or missing rent payments until then. Although it's not much, it's a help for the thousands of people in our state who are out of work. I feel very fortunate to be old and on Social Security, and I know that even if the worst happens, I'll be able to pay my rent and have enough money to buy food. I see so many homeless people these days, and my heart goes out to them. I simply cannot imagine what it must be like. I've always had a home and have never gone hungry except by choice.

Norma Jean and I were so fortunate, but we never knew it at the time. We were just kids who had parents who took care of us, and although we moved often, as my father was in the Air Force, it never seemed unusual. Mama always made a home for us, no matter how often we moved. When Daddy was TDY (on temporary duty), the dinners she fixed for us were much less fancy, but they were nutritious and reliable. I have never minded eating the same menu for days at a time, and I wonder if that's why. Some people need lots of variety, but I am not one of them. We were always secure in the love that surrounded us as we grew up, no matter where we lived. I realize now how fortunate we were.

I have so many memories of the two of us, Norma Jean and me, in our formative years, playing happily together. I am two-and-a-half years older, so I got to be the big sister and learned to be a bit of a brat. I did torment my sister now and then, but she was no shrinking violet when it came to getting even. We made each other better and stronger people, and we still have a close relationship, even if now it's virtual rather than physical.

If we lived close, I'm sure we would still be doing things together, and we have a gentle rivalry with each other about how much exercise we get each day. Since the pandemic, I've gotten much less exercise but try every day to get at least a short walk in. It's important to my mental health as much as anything else. And having so many green, lush parks around me, I have no excuse not to get outside a little.

And I am also very lucky to have a dear partner to share my life with, someone who takes such good care of me. I forget to notice so many things he accomplishes, because he never makes a production out of all the cooking and cleaning that he does. I keep thinking I will, but I've never been much of a housekeeper. Lucky for me that I married someone who is.

The world I share with you, my virtual friends, is also a blessing that I never expected to find, and without it I would be much less content and happy. I follow almost a hundred blogs, and fortunately not everyone writes every day or I couldn't keep up, and I write here every Sunday morning as my contribution to the virtual community. It's important, and I look forward to your comments, even when I know I've not written something wonderful or uplifting. In these trying times, I do attempt to find a reason to look forward to better times ahead. And since we know that nothing stays the same, I am determined to see the positive aspects we share. One of them is the ability to talk to one another like this.

And so, with that, I will wind up this post and start the rest of my day. After a quick shower and my daily exercises, I'll head to the coffee shop, where John and I will get coffee and put out our lawn chairs in the median outside and enjoy some conversation and company. We don't stay nearly as long as we once did, since there are no bathrooms close by and the ones in the coffee shop are closed. But it's still enjoyable and a nice break in the day.

I do hope you will find some way to be happy and not worry. After all, we are still ambulatory and, as they say, still on this side of the grass. We have found each other, and many of us are fortunate to have this virtual community to visit now and then. Until we meet again next week, I wish you all good things, dear readers.