Sheltering at Home
My husband and I are still sheltering at home. Tragically the COVID numbers in Arizona are up. We wear masks and gloves out in public (when we have to go out) and keep a CDC home. We still have socially distanced driveway breakfasts/coffee time with neighbors (temps permitting). A bit of shouting but we’re “together.” We can walk/bike in our neighborhood. Hank and I have morning talks. This listening and sharing is a very special time.
I write, follow inspiring writers online, support diversity as I can from home, and have hope.
Bighorn Fire
Windy Vista. It will be all right.
119,250 acres of our beautiful Catalina Mts. have burned. Five weeks of watching the fire move west to east across the Catalinas challenged my faith. It also brought faith back, seeing how over 1100 people from Hotshot crews, multiple county emergency response teams, Coronado Forest and inciweb teams, Pima, Pinal, and Cochise county departments successfully battled this fire 24/7. Not a single structure was lost, no lives were lost, and today July 11, we are at 85% containment with ongoing suppression and repair work. The operations crews updated us every day (a boon of social media) so facts were given calmly and fears reduced, community readiness assured. Our beloved mountains are scorched and yet there are areas saved, and it will grow back. Our gratitude is immense.
Easing My Heart
Our world and country are in turmoil. I do not believe people are bad. I pray each morning for peace in individuals, families, towns, cities, states, and envision peace moving outward from place to place. I keep thoughts of goodness in the front of my mind during the day.
I want you to see me as I see you, through the lens of pure acceptance. These days it may only be my eyes above my mask, but I believe my heart’s positive energy will waft over to you.
Ethel Lee-Miller blogs regularly about people, the power of words, and the writing life. She’s retired from professional writing gigs after 30 years of teaching, coaching, editing, and gathering writers to publicly share their work. She is the author of Thinking of Miller Place, and Seedlings, Stories of Relationships. In retirement she’s writing to inspire, to connect with folks, and for the pure enjoyment of it, and sharing stories at Odyssey Storytelling, Tucson Tellers of Tales, and anywhere there’s a Zoom mic.
