
Woman with long, wavy dark hair in a plaid shirt,
looking down a country road with trees on either side.
I took a long walk yesterday on the rural roads around my house. I passed or saw in the distance about 10 other people, which is about 10 times the number I’d typically pass. A mom and her two kids on bikes. A couple of middle-aged couples. A few older people, walking alone, as I was. We crossed to the other side of the road and said hello, tentative neighbors, seeing each other for the first time. It’s raining today, but I’m keeping my eye on it, and if it lets up for a bit, I’m going to get outside again. It never ceases to amaze me how restorative it is — walking a paved road with a lot of trees on either side, houses tucked in at a distance, just right for these social-distancing times.