Spring has definitely sprung! With unusually high temperatures for the season, nature is already dressed in the most beautiful colours and blooming trees have filled the air with the fresh scent of spring. We even saw the first swallows on the trees around our house. The beauty of nature might be the only norm in our lives right now, the only thing that has remained the same, as everything else has changed dramatically making this spring different than any other.

I just got home from a short ride with the car. I had to deliver something to a friend that was in need. As I was driving, I started observing the majestic beauty of blooming nature and felt enchanted. A gorgeous sunset laid before me. The sky was on fire. I opened the car windows to feel the fresh air in my lungs. I felt like drowning, as if a heavy weight was sitting on my chest. I needed some air!

The glory of nature in bloom doesn’t really coordinate with our current situation and what’s happening in our lives, here and almost everywhere else around the world. A dark veil has covered the earth, an “invisible enemy”, as many reporters call it. An unprecedented dangerous pandemic. So many of our fellow men lose their lives daily while others continue to struggle to win this uneven battle. The most prominent feeling is fear, fear of the unknown that has trapped us into our homes and has separated us from our loved ones, as we’re trying to keep ourselves and others safe and restrain the spread of the virus. We can’t enjoy spring and nature and even a short walk might put us in danger. The sight of doorknobs terrifies us and antibacterial sprays and gels have become our best friends!

No one knows how to react to the shocking images we get to see every day and we all seem to feel helpless. Still locked in our homes, silent and worried about the forthcoming peak of the curve we keep hearing about. Things will get worse, they say. At the same time, there are so many real heroes out there risking their lives to save as many as possible. The sight of exhausted doctors in their weird safety uniforms pleading us to stay inside and follow the lockdown rules overwhelms me.

This beautiful sunset moved me to tears. All I wanted was to go outside and revel in the glory of nature around me. That’s when I realized how much I’ve missed everyone. I miss my daughter who works away and cannot visit me, I miss my friend who’s dealing with some health issues and I can definitely not see her and risk spreading the virus without even knowing. I miss my friend who didn’t make it back to Greece and is now stuck abroad, I miss my parents who live a few blocks away from us and I cannot go anywhere near them.. I miss so many of my loved ones! People and relationships that we take for granted and that we may keep contact with through Skype, yet I feel like this form of communication is not enough for me right now!

I feel this unbelievable need to hug everyone, keep them close and express my love and affection to each and every one of them! I’d love to cook for them, like I’ve done countless times in the past, and gather everyone around our table to banish any fear and threat with our joy and laughter!

I know there’s not much I can do right now besides being cautious and patient. These are hard times for all of us, especially for those who have been affected the most. I know we won’t get to see our loved ones for a while and we’ll probably feel like we’ve lost our freedom. I know there will be many afternoons like today when I’ll be feeling this unbearable weight sitting on my chest because of how much I miss everyone. But the thought of the people I love the most will give me strength to remain patient and keep on waiting because I know this too shall pass even though it might leave a scar. Things will never be the same but let’s hope it’s for the best.

On days like today, without putting much thought into it or really feeling it, I get in the kitchen and start cooking. This is my way of decompressing and coping with stress, I suppose. Mixing sugar with flour and vanilla, baking and waiting for the end result is my therapy! A simple vanilla cake, this time with pears, can prove to be very uplifting!