Happy April Fool’s Day, which, according to Wikipedia, is an annual custom on April 1st consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. I always think of my Mom on April Fool’s Day because she was mostly a very stern person who scorned practical jokes, but on April Fool’s Day she would play a few hoaxes on my father. One year, she sewed his boxer shorts’ fly shut. Another year, she reorganized all the drawers in their bedroom. Both of these really made me laugh because it was so out of character coming from her!

This April 1st I feel myself lightening up a bit. I do not want to play a trick on anyone, but I do want laughter.

I know it’s not true everywhere, but here in the USA, we now have a president who I trust will help us get past the COVID pandemic. It’s not over, of course, yet I do feel a glimmer of hope that I have not had in the past four years.

This weekend we are having two friends over for lunch: such a small thing, yet momentous at the same time. And the other day, when I was grieving over a loved one who was seriously ill (and has since recovered!), a friend gave me an actual hug – not a pretend hug. Again, small but momentous.

It had been a year since I had received a hug from a friend.

Today I am in the mood to slough off my mourning of the past year and move into hopefulness and gratitude. I am in the mood to spend some quiet time reimagining my new normal.

What about you: want to join me?

My heart is full of tenderness for all of us who have experienced deep loss this past year. May we all begin to experience a sense of relief, and have a glimpse of how we would like to move farther into 2021.