Every day when I go for a neighborhood walk I take my camera and look for beauty. Sometimes I photograph magnolia blossoms or lilies or iris — which are indeed beautiful. But I am also enamored with dandelions whose yellow faces smile up at me from the edges of my neighbor’s yards. Such an ordinary plant — a weed? a flower? I have gathered small bouquets of them to put on the window sill above my sink. They are so cheerful and a reminder of a time several years ago when my daughter and granddaughters were visiting. The 4 year old picked a small bouquet of dandelions and gave them to her mother. Her 6 year old sister commented: “Don’t give those old weeds to Mom!” My daughter and i assured the 4 year old that weeds can indeed be beautiful! I have been grateful for dandelions ever since.

One of the gifts of this pandemic has been my increasing awareness of the interconnectedness of all people. As I walk through my neighborhood I often meet others along the way — I cross to the other side of the street if I need to — or they do the same to honor safe distancing. “After all”, I think, “we are all in this together.” And I know that has been a truth for all of my life. It’s just that I am more aware of it today. I pray that this awareness will endure long after the pandemic is over.