Arts Alive San Antonio

As we are anxiously watching the news about the steady spreading of COVID-19 all over the world, it may be difficult to focus on anything else. We feel trapped in a holding pattern, trying our best to follow the new rules of daily life, worried and confused, hoping that life will return to normal sooner rather than later.

Can there possibly be some kind of silver lining to this calamity?

Well, I would like to share with you part of a letter (emailed, of course) that I received from my relative, Maya who lives in Belgrade, Serbia. After delivering news about her family and some information about the COVID-19 measures undertaken in Serbia, Maya also wrote the following:

“However, every evil has its good side. As far as I know, all wars on the planet have been halted, and humankind got a chance to slow down a bit, breathe cleaner air and turn towards spiritual values. Each individual got a chance to look into himself or herself to find his/her core purpose. And a chance to finally understand that we are waves in the same sea.

“I think this virus is among us now to tell us, ‘That’s enough! It’s time for love to replace hate, or you will all perish.’”

I was especially struck by “all wars on the planet have been halted.” I don’t know if it’s true, and she doesn’t either, but we certainly have not been hearing news of hostilities. It would indeed make sense that in the face of a bigger and common enemy, humans of all nations would realize that they are just waves in an immense sea, dependent on and complementing each other.

And here’s something else I am going to share with you. Look at the beautiful photos of flowers that my friend, San Antonio composer and musician, Tom Masinter, sent us. He is a magician gardener whose backyard is a delight for the senses, and a lesson in floral botany if you care to learn it.

These days, Tom finds solace and relaxation among his plants. “… I am sitting in the backyard with a cool drink, reading a book. It is so pleasant. Amaryllis and amaryllis relatives are starting to bloom. I have them all in pots. When they bloom, I bring them up by the back door.”

Not everyone can be a master gardener of Tom’s caliber but gardening seems like a great way to be productive and embellish your environment while you take your mind off illness, disinfectants and “social distancing.”

                                                                                                             Jasmina

If you would like to share your thoughts or tell us how you make the “sheltering in place” enjoyable, please leave a comment. We’ll be happy to share your comments with readers. We will publish only your first name, if that is your choice.