Day 50: Dreaming of Pubs, Stubs and Hugs

So…this is my 50th day in my humble abode. During a time when many of us are home 24/7, what I find I’m missing most are the pubs, stubs and hugs.

Pubs. My level of alcohol consumption has gone down dramatically since my college days, so it’s not really about the beer or wine. It’s about spending quality time with friends and family, enjoying each other’s company F2F, telling funny stories, and laughing at something other than cat videos.  

Stubs. Plays. Movies. Concerts. Music, movies, dance - there’s nothing quite like the shared experience of the arts.

Hugs. Least revealing news about me: I’m an Extrovert with a capital E. I’m also very tactile – I love to hug. Virtual hugs are not the same as the real thing.

No doubt you’ve already figured out the thread here. What I crave most right now is to come together; to relish a shared experience; and to bask in community.

In her terrific webinar about how to manage anxiety during difficult times, fellow AFP board member Leah Eustace offers up a wealth of valuable information. Her simplest, most straight forward slide from that presentation gave me solace: “This Is Temporary.” 

I’m so grateful to Leah as those three words have had a tremendous positive impact on my ability to feel hopeful every day. I hope they’re helpful to you too.

I know how much we all want to get together with our friends, family and colleagues again, even you introverts! ☺ And I cannot wait until the day when I can give folks a great big hug, take in a show together, and then meet up afterwards at a pub to talk about it. 

Once we’re all able to venture out safely, I will never take pubs, stubs and hugs for granted again.