The Eyes Have It!

Now, either no one recognizes me all masked up or nobody cares as they just want to get home in the safety of their own little bubble.

So how are you feeling?

Are you missing personal contact with your friends and family? I surely am. This COVID 19 has changed our lives in so many ways, and I’m sure we are all forever changed as a result.

I really miss hugging. Zooming and FaceTiming are awesome but there’s nothing like hugging someone and feeling their heartbeat next to yours, or even shaking their hand. There’s something intimate about those greetings, but this arm bump or wimpy wave is a poor substitute. Yet, I don’t think we will ever return to hugging or shaking hands even after a vaccine is found. We have learned too much how germs spread amongst each other. I never realized how much I would miss personal contact.

But there’s something I miss even more than hugging now that masks are mandatory, and by the way, they should be mandatory! Make no mistake; with my low-immune issues I wear mine religiously, except to bed! Ever since the mask ordinance was imposed, I miss smiles terribly. There’s no doubt that a smile from me to a stranger would brighten their day, as their smile back to me would do the same.

Last week, as I waited six feet behind a family in front of me at my favorite grocery store, I smiled at the unmasked mother of the four kids who were driving her nuts, begging for gum and begging for candy. One of the kids even tried to jump out of her cart, but I forgot that she could not see me smiling. When she finished paying her bill she turned to me and said, “I hope we weren’t too annoying to you.”

That’s when I pulled up my mask and said, “Oh no.” You could not see, but I was smiling.

“Would you like to take these four home with you?” she asked.

I simply replied, “Having done four years of fertility to no avail, I want you to remember how blessed you really are. And be sure to get a mask so you’ll be around to watch them grow-up.” She huffed and walked off. I felt sad because she could not see me smiling through the whole ordeal. Instead she thought I was turned off by the kids’ behavior.

I’m also miffed that no one looks you in the eye anymore when they are walking towards you! Are they embarrassed to be wearing a mask? Heck they are saving their life and mine. Or do they figure no one is going to recognize them anyway? I must admit I’ve surely noticed this lately. Formerly it took me an hour to run into the store for bread and milk due to stopping to chat with everyone. Now, either no one recognizes me all masked up or nobody cares as they just want to get home in the safety of their own little bubble. Can’t say I blame them.

In the past, our faces and expressions told the world how we were feeling: Happy, sad, confused, lost, ecstatic, or lonely. I have always loved smiling. My mom says she named me after a popular song she loved in the ‘50s, and luckily she is still here to sing it to me: “I’m in heaven when I see you smile. Smile for me my Diane.” But as I grew older, I was smiling and talking to everyone, even strangers, and my grandmother tried to reel me in. I can still hear her saying, “Honey, you are too damn friendly for your own good!” But, sorry Nana. As much as I miss you and your guidance and advice, I have never stopped being friendly and still offer a smile to all that I meet, even while wearing a mask.

There’s a song whose lyrics have never seemed more pertinent than they are today. I sing it every morning in an effort to face this incredibly crazy world we are living in.

As Nat King Cole sang:
Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by… If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through
For you….just smile!

So when you see me around town, if you should happen to recognize me, know that I am smiling the most welcoming and loving smile to you, and I hope you are doing the same for me. Don’t let my mask, mask what is truly in my heart. I hope my eyes will say it all!