I do hope that during this time of uncertainty and longing for people you remember the times you said the following:

Goodness..."I really need a break from work"

"I need a break from talking to that person"

"I just need a change from reality"

"I just wish I had a moment where time would stop"

"It would be nice to just change things up a bit"

I look back a little, and I do laugh at the phrases I've heard or said myself over the past few years. And now all of those phrases I have heard repeated time and time again bring with it such a different meaning. 

"I wish I could go back to my REAL job"

"I would really love to see that person"

"I do wish reality would simply just revert to the way it was WAY BACK WHEN in February"

"Time has stopped. It's time for that clock to move back a bit to the way things were ticking and tocking"

" For once, please don't change anything else."

You know, for the first time, it can be said that we are all undergoing "in real-time" the phrase: "The grass is always greener on the other side." Actually, I think most of us would say, when things were the way they used to be (like last year during this time) the grass was always just the right amount of green, with just the right amount of sun, with just the brightest amount of flowers and little waves of change that kept us on our feet but did not actually capsize a boat."

This morning I started Summer Academy online. And what a beautiful group of scholars they are. Their personalities shined right through the screens. They were motivated. Excited. Energetic. Full of wonder. But you do take a step back and realize just how much more beautiful those personalities would be if you could meet them face to face. What nuances would you see that you don't see through a screen? What jokes or exchanges might you be able to cherish? What would the atmosphere really be like and how would they go about creating it? 

I don't think any of us will ever hope that the grass is a different color or even wonder what it might be like on the other side. Because...this is the "other side" and how exciting that we get to compare the two. Regardless of how long we spend on "the other side," I am for certain we can grow blossoms in both places.