“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

I yanked at the Lycra furiously as if it was the doorknob on my great aunt Jean’s basement. The excitement to get into yoga pants so soon again this week doesn’t quite compare to the thrill of the plastic kitchen toys my cousins and I found when the warped door opened and we thundered like wildebeests down to make believe.

And yet, there was a sense of wonder in it. Getting to work from home in my stretchy pants. I still shower every day for heaven’s sake. Do not worry. I haven’t lost all sense of self in this peculiar time we’re living in.

What I have lost is my inhibitions. That may sound funny given most of us are banished to our homes and restricted from our habits due to a nasty virus.

We are not free to frolic or to fraternize with friends.

We are kept from colleagues and covered in cloth masks.

We are harnessed by home school and hunkered down to protect our health. 

We are wearing Lycra for crying out loud!

How can I possibly feel a sense of freedom?

Walk with me.

The sun is out. Air crisp. Pace brisk. I broke away from the conference calls to burn off lunch and the weight of my worry on the Greenway Trail. I wasn’t alone. Six feet ahead or behind, others walked. Dads with daughters. Brothers. Couples. Families. And lots of dogs.

“Oh hello,” a friendly face greeted.

“Spread the love,” another called out.

A sidewalk chalk surprise met me at every curve.

“#selfcare.”

“We can do this.”

Colorful hope like a rainbow painted across the sky after a storm. A reminder – we are not alone.

We are unencumbered by the conventions of our rituals. We are creative. We are resilient. We are able.

I never knew this path existed before Corona. I never took walks on my lunch break before Corona. I almost never wore Lycra before Corona. 

In new ways of doing life, I find that faith, hope, and love remain uninhibited.